A Missing Discovery
by A Cubic Island
Summary: For days after their journey, Kris is continually absent from school. Susie is left only to speculate at first, but she soon learns the chilling truth: a mysterious incident has left Kris hospitalized and unresponsive, and no one seems to have any answers. Of course, when Kris' friends from the Dark World hear the news, they're determined to find those answers.
1. Chapter 1

For two days after the chalk went missing from Ms. Alphys' board, Kris failed to show up for class.

No one thought much of the empty desk in the middle row. Possibly a product of their mother's teachings, Kris' attendance record had been nearly stainless. But everyone had to get sick _sometime._ The only thought that crossed the mind of most their classmates was how much homework they'd have to catch up on.

Susie, on the other hand, had a hunch something else was wrong.

What made Kris' string of absences even stranger came that morning, when she eavesdropped a brief conversation between first graders in the hallway. Not only was _Kris_ absent, but their mother, Ms. Toriel, hadn't come to school in the same timeframe. A student missing a couple days wasn't unusual in itself, but a teacher? Something was amiss.

Then the third day came.

At the end of class, chatter and conversation erupted with the final bell. The scraping of seats pushed outward, the rustling of backpacks, and clumps of footsteps filled the air. Her head resting on her outstretched arms, Susie made no move until the crowd had filed out the room, and then she rose to leave.

"O-oh... um, Susie, one moment please."

She stopped with her hand on the doorknob. She angled her head to look in Ms. Alphys' direction. "Look, I didn't _do_ anything-"

"Y-you're not in trouble, just come here."

With a raised eyebrow, Susie approached the desk. Ms. Alphys folded her hands on the surface, allowed herself a moment to collect her thoughts, and refocused her attention on her student.

"Susie, y-you and Kris are excused from this month's project. I... I fear they won't be in class for a while."

"... Why?"

Ms. Alphys brought a slow hand to her face, pinching the frame of her glasses to readjust. "I-it isn't usually school policy to announce this without permission, but g-given the circumstances, I feel you deserve to know what's happened to your peer. A letter will be sent home with the class when the time is right."

"Deserve to know _what?_ What's going on?"

A hint of desperation laced Susie's voice. Ms. Alphys' reply came in the form of a handkerchief from her pocket. She brought it to her eyes.

"T-this morning, we received a phone call from the local hospital. K-Kris has been admitted to the intensive care unit."

Susie felt her blood freeze.

"T-the police are still investigating the incident," she continued, "but t-they were found unconscious at the edge of town late last night... they haven't woken up yet. I d-don't know any more than that, I'm sorry."

"I need to go _._ _"_

Susie could think of nothing else to say. Her voice was choked, difficult to summon from her throat. But she looked upon her teacher with glassy, almost _pleading_ eyes, and she slowly nodded. "Very well... p-please keep your classmate in your thoughts, Susie."

Susie walked to the door and silently exited the classroom. When the latch clicked behind her, she broke into a run down the hall, and to the supply closet in the back of the school.

* * *

Ralsei hummed a gentle tune to himself as he checked the oven timer. With five minutes left, he then activated the oven light, and peered through the clear plastic opening in the door: the cakes were coming along magnificently. With a content smile, he turned the light off and slumped in a nearby reading chair. He checked the wall clock for the time.

"Hey! Are the cakes ready yet?!"

From above his scarf, Ralsei peeked at the new king of Dark World, who at this moment lay flat on their back on the floor. An earphone was planted in his left ear, while the other dangled freely; Lancer was playing his music loud enough for Ralsei to hear some unidentifiable genre. "No, not yet."

"Well hurry up! I haven't had anything to eat in ten minutes, and I'm hungry!"

Ralsei smiled. "Don't worry, Lancer, there'll be plenty of cake for all of us. But we have to wait for our friends, too."

 _"Friend_ , you mean. The other clown hasn't been here for a while."

Ralsei's normal cheery expression dulled, mixed with a twinge of sadness. It had only been a few days, but he knew he was _very_ much lying to himself if he said he wasn't concerned. Susie had a harder time grappling with the team at first, but _she_ came to visit the castle everyday. Where was Kris? He hadn't yet worked up the courage to ask her.

But with Lancer's remarks, Ralsei made a firm pledge: today was the day that would change. And seemingly right on cue, Ralsei heard the opening of the large wooden castle doors. They rose to their feet and ran to the gates as Susie walked in.

"Hi, Susie! Happy to see you again," Ralsei said, his bright countenance returning. "The cakes are in the oven now. You want to go on a five minute adventure in the forest? Play a game? Work on your pr-"

"No, Ralsei. I'm not here for fun."

Ralsei cut on a dime. Usually Susie would give some sarcastic hello or call him a name (though she never _really_ meant it, not anymore); she was quiet now, uncharacteristically so. Something was up.

"... Susie?"

Her face was crestfallen in a manner Ralsei had never seen before.

"Ralsei, something's happened. Kris-"

"SUSIE!"

Susie was interrupted by a loud clatter coming from within the castle's kitchen. The door nearly burst from the hinges as it kicked open, and out came an excited Lancer on his bicycle. The wheel came dangerously close to her foot, but with the brakes, he hopped off and offered a high-five.

She didn't return the gesture. Like Ralsei, Lancer immediately knew something was wrong.

"Guys, Kris isn't doing too well. Like, _really_ not well."

The oven beeped inside the kitchen.

"... What do you mean, not well? What's wrong with them?" Lancer finally asked.

"They're... they're in the hospital right now. In intensive care."

The air left Ralsei's lungs. He felt his heart shatter to a million pieces.

The three fell entirely silent. Ralsei's scarf lowered just a touch, but he tugged it back up with haste. His glasses became streaky.

"They're... they're in the hospital?" Lancer choked out. "B-but how? Why?"

"I don't know!" Susie exclaimed. Her teeth were tightly clenched, fists to boot. She needed a breather to calm herself. "I don't know what happened. They just-they stopped showing up to class, and now _this_. I thought it was weird at first, but I-"

Susie's next thought died on arrival. The quiet, muffled sobs of Ralsei had finally poked through loud enough to be heard by both her and Lancer, and they shifted their attention to the third member of the party. He fell to his knees to direct his face away from them, but they both could see the tear stains soaking his scarf.

"Ralsei?" Susie was the first to react. "I, uh, hey? You okay?"

Ralsei could only continue to sob. Lancer and Susie exchanged worried glances, and then, to perhaps her _own_ surprise, she knelt next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Somewhat awkwardly, she gave a squeeze.

"Listen... it's going to be alright, okay? Kris is tough, they'll pull through."

Ralsei was shivering uncontrollably. The faintest chatter of teeth could be heard; he forced himself to take several long, deep breaths, and wipe his eyes with his scarf before he worked up his voice. "W-w... what if they don't? What if they _don't_ pull through?"

"They're not _dead_ , right? They'll wake up soon." Susie dripped as much comedic effect as she could muster (very little) into her voice, but found it did no good. Ralsei slipped his glasses free from his face, and she could see silver tear streaks.

"Have... have you seen them yet?"

Susie shook her head. "I needed to tell you guys first."

This time Ralsei managed to force a nod of understanding. He wiped his eyes with a dry portion of his scarf, and with a few more slow breaths, regained enough composure to swallow the lump in his throat. "I've missed them..."

"Yeah, me too," Lancer said. "I mean, it was only around the end we became friends, but I think I'd like to get to know that clown a little better. You know?"

Susie couldn't help but let the corners of her lips curl into a bit of a sorrowful grin. "Yeah. I've only known them for a little while, but... they seem pretty cool, I guess."

Ralsei pressed his palms to the ground and made himself stand. He offered a hand to Susie, and to his faint surprise, she accepted the gesture and rose. "I just-I want to know what happened," he said. "They're so kind and compassionate, they don't deserve this..."

"I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was just an accident. But if it was a _person_ that did this..."

Susie bared her teeth. The pupils from her eyes disappeared entirely. Ralsei took a slight step back, and Lancer struggled to balance awe and fear.

"... We'll have time for that later."

Ralsei couldn't help a sigh of relief as Susie's face reverted to her normal expression. He readjusted his scarf. "Susie, I know it won't always be possible, but _please_ be with Kris while they recover. They'll need all your support."

Susie crossed her arms. "Why just mine? Both of you, grab backpacks, and bring stuff you'll want for the trip."

Lancer cocked his head to the side. "Huh?"

"You heard me. We're going. Now."

Both Ralsei and Lancer found themselves at a loss for words. The former raised his hand with his index finger pointed upward, but his stream of thoughts took a few seconds to hammer out: "You... you want us to go to the _Light World?"_

"Yeah?" Susie shrugged. "We gotta support our friend, right? Let's go to the hospital, the three of us."

"HELL YEAH! LET'S DO IT!"

Lancer's excited shout startled Ralsei, and even Susie took on wide eyes. Lancer ran to his bike and picked it up from the ground, hopped aboard, and blasted off in a series of donuts. In the commotion, Ralsei took an opportunity to speak to Susie in private.

"Susie, I'm not exactly sure-"

"Sure of what?"

Ralsei exhaled, rather miffed at the quick interruption, but did his best not to show. "I'm not exactly sure it's _possible_ for us to go. We've never tried to send a Darkner through the fountain."

"But you said you fixed it, right?"

Ralsei nodded. Kris had sealed the Eastern Fountain with their human SOUL after their adventure, leaving only the original Fountain of Darkness in Castle Town standing; with the corrupt King and his tampering out of the picture, Ralsei worked tirelessly to adjust the facility for use with travel. Kris and Susie could visit any time they wanted now, and return to their world at any time, too.

"There shouldn't be any problems, then," Susie said. "If I can use the fountain normally, you both can probably join me."

"Maybe... but I'm concerned we've-"

"Hey! Cut the talking and let's get a move on!" Lancer (or perhaps his bike) decided to switch his incessant spinning to encircle _them_ instead, and after a few tricks for show, he burst through the doors of the castle. A much larger crash than before was heard.

"... I don't think _he's_ all that worried. You shouldn't be, either."

Ralsei said nothing in response. From the time he'd finished his prior point, his mind was racing a marathon.

The fountain was a gamble. Unquestionably so. Even in all the books he'd read in the library, there were no concrete reports on Dark World citizens attempting to gain access to the Light World with the current fountain. There were about two and a half million things that could go wrong before, during, and after the process.

And yet, Ralsei's mind drifted to Kris, lying unconscious in a hospital bed with an IV and heart rate monitor. His will was ironclad.

"I'll do it."

Susie grinned. "Glad to hear it." She then shouted, "LANCER! ARE YOU READY YET?!"

"ALMOST!" came the reply from a window in a higher tower. "I'M LOOKING FOR MY MP3! AND I NEED TO TELL MY NEW DAD TO WATCH THE KINGDOM!"

Susie glanced to Ralsei at this. "New dad?"

"Rouxls Kaard. The kingdom should survive for a few days. Hopefully."

Susie let forth a snicker. "With that guy, all bets are off. Do you need to get anything?"

Ralsei shook his head. "No. I'm ready to go now." Susie headed into the castle to find Lancer, leaving him the last member of the courtyard. And when left alone to his devices, to ponder the events forthcoming, a single thought prevailed:

He didn't _need_ to bring anything. Maybe the journey would be risky. Maybe there was some danger involved. But any sense of threat, any perception of harm to himself, paled in comparison to the _only_ thing they could focus on: reaching the end of the trail, no matter the cost. All that mattered was the finish.

All that mattered was reaching Kris.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are we all good to go?"

Taking matters into her own hands, Susie gave her companions a look-over: Ralsei wore his familiar green cloak, scarf and hat, while Lancer had a drawstring bag slung over his shoulders. Save for his MP3, she couldn't guess what it contained. The bike had to stay at home.

"You bet! Come on guys, quit standing around and shake a leg!" Lancer exclaimed. Ralsei nodded in agreement.

"Susie, we're ready. Activate the fountain."

She nodded as well. Carefully she approached the edge of the cauldron before them; the Dark Fountain was a swirl of colors flickered in a cycle, engulfing the entirety of the room as it went. The three watched with steely eyes, and though none wanted to admit, pounding hearts.

With no words said, Susie reached her hand to her chest. A small white heart appeared at her fingertips, ebbing and pulsing with energy and life. She clasped it delicately for a moment.

Then she tossed it to the fountain.

The room erupted in an intense white light. Ralsei clutched Susie's shoulder tightly, and Lancer did the same with Ralsei's hand. The three closed their eyes.

A sweeping sensation overtook them, and all went dark.

* * *

A metal cabinet made a loud noise upon impact with the floor. A rubber duck squeaked.

It was still dark.

"... Shit. Hold still, the light switch is here somewhere."

"Susie? Is that you? Are we dead?!"

"Lancer, I-no, we are _not_ dead."

"Are you sure?"

"It _is_ rather ominous, to still be engulfed by-"

"Are you guys serious?! God damn, when I find this thing I'll-AAAGH!"

Susie's flicked the light switch as hard as she could possibly manage. A single lightbulb dangling from an overhead fixture dimly illuminated the room.

The unused classroom looked exactly as she remembered it from just a few days prior. Playing cards and blocks scattered about. A chess board with pieces strewn every which way. An old teddy bear and rug. And a clock reading 3:50 PM.

"Hey, look at me!"

It was Lancer who shook Susie from her observations, and she and Ralsei heeded his request: Lancer's normal attire had been swapped for a small black and white hoodie with half his face covered, with a blue spade icon embedded on the front. He wore white pants and blue shoes to match, and his drawstring bag remained untouched.

 _Huh... I guess their outfits change when they jump worlds, like Kris and I,_ Susie thought. Her eyes trickled to the periphery of her vision. _I wonder what-_

"Lancer, you look quite nice."

"Hey, thanks! You look less like toothpaste!"

Now Susie turned fully. Ralsei maintained his signature scarf and glasses, but the green robe had been swapped for a solid color, loose-fitting sweater. Black sweatpants also came filling in for his previous wear.

The pointed mage's hat had swapped for a flappy green sunhat. Susie bit her tongue.

"... What?"

"What's on your head?"

Susie and Lancer burst into full-on roars of laughter. Ralsei carefully lowered the hat from his head, looked it over, and put it gently back in place. "I like it. Maybe not as much as my normal one, but I suppose I'd stand out, wouldn't I?"

"You're going to anyway," Susie finally managed to say, after a few deep breaths. "I wish you'd kept the wizard hat, you could probably explain it better."

"Hm... well, it'll be alright. Where are we?"

The smile lowered from Susie's face, and she reoriented herself to her surroundings. "In my school. Whenever I come back from the Dark World, I end up in this empty classroom." Ralsei found himself flabbergasted.

"The portal is in your _school?"_

"Uh, yeah. It's pretty stupid."

"Man, that _is_ a stupid place to put it!" Lancer said. "I'd rather have it in the dungeon. At least somewhere easy to reach!"

Susie gave a half-nod in agreement, but then held her hand up in a gesture for silence. "We'll have time to talk about it later. I'm not sure how late the hospital's open, so we should get moving."

The mere mention of the hospital dropped the smile from Lancer's face, and evoked a ripple in Ralsei's stomach. Even the distraction of a new world proved fleeting in the face of the danger their friend faced.

"How far is the hospital from here?" Ralsei said quietly.

"Like, ten minutes?" Susie replied. "C'mon."

She led the way to the door and forced herself to open gently-she didn't want to attract unnecessary attention, if anyone was still in the building. The three filed out the classroom and into the hall. They passed the closet doors as they walked, but Susie chose not to mention it for the time being.

It was only as the group passed a window that Susie noticed the lack of sunlight in the halls. She looked outside, and to her mild disappointment, the skies rewarded her efforts with a billowing gray cloud cover. Rain hadn't yet begun, but a peal of thunder in the distance was heard.

She sighed.

* * *

The walk through town was brief. Quiet, too.

A light drizzle had opened from the sky. Raindrops tapped the three from time to time, but it hadn't yet become a storm; Lancer kept his hood tight around his head, while Ralsei adjusted his hat from time to time. No one felt an urge to make conversation, even in this unique new place for the two Dark Worlders. The task at hand was more important.

"We're here."

Susie's proclamation was the first among the three since they left the school. They looked up. A large, white brick building adorned with flowers and windows greeted their presence, and the front sign read HOSPITAL in unmistakable red letters. Ralsei looked this over carefully.

 _Kris, we're coming. I'M coming. I promise..._

Susie pushed the hospital doors open, and the three stepped inside. She glanced around the room: the hum and flicker of fluorescent lighting cascaded above their heads, covering the seafoam blue walls in a bright glow. A piano was in the corner, with couches to serve as a waiting area; kids toys scattered the floor.

Susie, Ralsei, and Lancer approached the front desk. The attendant was little more than a gigantic, walking mouth wearing a nurse hat, and their name tag fittingly revealed their identity as Big Mouth. They had been patiently watching the group from the moment they stepped inside.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh... we're here to visit a friend," Susie said.

"Room number?"

Susie looked back for an exchange of eyes with her two companions. Lancer shrugged, and Ralsei's face remained buried beneath his hat and scarf.

"I don't know. We haven't been here to see them yet."

Big Mouth took a notebook from the counter, and flipped through a few pages. "First and last name?"

"Kris. With a K and an R."

A moment's silence followed. Somehow, Susie could feel their attention fall squarely upon them. " _Last_ name?"

She blinked.

"I-"

"Fortunately, there's only one Kris on record, in ICU. Visitor hours are open, but given the nature of their condition, I'm afraid your time is capped at fifteen minutes. Room seven, down the hall and to the left."

Susie was a bit miffed at the exchange, but with the answer she came for, she forced a gruff nod. Lancer and Ralsei followed on her heels as she led the way through the doors next to the reception desk and down the hall.

Ralsei ignored the tags next to the rooms. He counted the doors in his head. _3... 4... 5... 6..._

"This one."

Susie wasted no time. With a slight turn of her wrist, she opened the door and stepped inside. Lancer slipped in through the space between her and the doorframe, and Ralsei was the last to come into the room.

Any sound he attempted to summon died in his throat.

* * *

Ralsei knew everything about the prophecy.

Sometimes, he found it hard for his mind to wander to anything else. The heroes he read, no, _dreamt_ about, day after day, night after night; hundreds of books in the library couldn't satisfy his curiosity, even with pages turned thousands of times over. Tales and stories filled his spirit with determination. He could recite every word from memory, backward and forward. Someday the two heroes would appear, and the world would be saved. Someday. _Someday._

Someday was roughly three days ago now. And three days ago, Ralsei got to meet them at last. Them of so much fascination, of curiosity, of anticipation, of _hope._ He cherished every second.

One was a brave, headstrong warrior, perhaps a little wayward at first, but ultimately found the path of righteousness. Ralsei wished he could've spent more time with her from the beginning, but he could never express how happy he was to have Susie as his friend now.

And then, the other.

This kindhearted, caring warrior. Wielder of immense power, and somehow, even more compassion and mercy. One that went to painstaking measures to communicate, to understand, to _ACT_ _._ None of Ralsei's books foresaw a hero of this virtue. Not one.

None of those books knew Kris, either. And Ralsei wasn't sure he could ever hope to sift through just what they meant to him. It was more than any dream.

And that's why the sight before Ralsei, at this moment, crushed his dreams to pieces.

The kind warrior of the Light World, with their armor and scarf, with their love and emotion, was unrecognizable. Before Ralsei now was what he envisioned when Susie first broke the horrible, horrible news: IV. Heartrate monitor. Oxygen mask. An assortment of tubes. Kris, in a blank white hospital gown, eyes closed. Unmoving. Unresponsive.

They looked so _vulnerable._

The trio said nothing for several minutes. Their eyes were pinned to the sight before them, their friend stuck in a world well beyond light or dark. Tears streamed down Ralsei's eyes, and he made no effort to wipe them away. Only the sounds of Kris' electronic heartrate served company to the silence, until a quiet, crackled voice whispered:

"Damn it."

With Susie's hands tightly clutching the railing of Kris' bed, she turned her head away from her two companions and focused her eyes on the floor. She blinked once. Twice. She needed to bring a finger across her left eye in particular.

Lancer couldn't find the words to say. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried, but the scene unfolding before him put a speck of dust in his eyes; sensing Susie was having the same problem, all he could do was offer a hand on her back, and she accepted the gesture quietly. He shifted his stare to Ralsei.

Lancer could only describe the scene before him as heartbreak. It was unlike anything he'd seen from his friend.

"Ralsei? Are... you okay?"

He never got a verbal reply. With a loud gasp, Lancer and Susie were enveloped in a tight hug.

Each could hear the labored breaths of Ralsei. The rhythmic exhales of Susie, the short, concise gulps from Lancer; no one made any attempt to move away or shake the embrace. They simply remained as statues, kept in the presence of each other. The heartrate monitor continued to pulse.

After time they didn't bother to track, Ralsei finally shifted himself and broke the hug. Susie and Lancer, with freedom, immediately turned to look at him; even from behind his scarf, they could see an embarrassed blush settle in. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize, man. I'm not _that_ heartless."

"Me either," Lancer added. "Well, maybe a little. But not today!"

Almost against her will, Susie couldn't help but snort at the remark. Lancer's lips curled into a small grin, and even Ralsei managed to mirror the gesture.

"... You guys want to hear something funny?" Susie said. She had both their attention, and with this in check she allowed a moment to ponder.

"Four days ago, I didn't know you guys. Four damn days. It's funny what a big adventure can do, right?"

"It doesn't feel like a few days," Ralsei said. "It feels like a lifetime to me. Perhaps it _has_ been."

"Well, you guys are crazy then." Lancer unleashed a little chuckle, and again, it proved moderately contagious. "Though... I guess I became friends with you guys pretty fast, huh? Bad start and all."

"You sure did." Susie gave him a little slug on the shoulder, and his smile brightened just a touch. Ralsei's small, saddened grin remained frozen in place.

A silence fell over the three once more. They each looked upon their friend.

"... You know, they don't _really_ look that bad."

Lancer's remark brought Ralsei and Susie to attention. They both put renewed emphasis on Kris' physical appearance, and before long they came to the same conclusion: there were no bruises or outward signs of trauma to be seen on Kris' face or arms. Save for the medical apparatus, it looked as if they were sleeping.

"I will admit, it's a little weird at a glance..." Ralsei said. "I thought there was a terrible injury."

Susie's hands curled into fists. More of her teeth started to show.

"So did I."

Ralsei could sense her rising anger. "Susie-"

"If they weren't in a car crash or some shit, why can't they wake up? What are they _doing_ here?"

Ralsei gave a gentle sigh, but a slow nod in acquiesce. "Let me check with my magic."

Susie's anger subsided as she watched Ralsei hold his hands above Kris. He closed his eyes and concentrated all his energy to the task, focusing his powers to search for wounds. Internal injuries. Perhaps something he could _heal,_ even?

Mere seconds later, he collapsed to the ground with short, panicked breaths.

"Ralsei?!"

Susie was by his side in an instant, with Lancer on her heels; they both looked with worry upon their friend. His scarf was lowered enough for them to see the fear upon his face, his wide eyes and rapidly beating heart.

"K-Kris... t-their... their..."

"Their what? _Their what?"_

"T-t-their SOUL... it's _gone!"_


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was just beginning to set when a silver car crossed beyond the entrance sign at the northern end of town.

The vehicle in question was a hand-me-down, a model at least fifteen years old. The engine had a tendency to sputter at times, but a few nicks and bruises in years past weren't enough to bring it to its end. The car could still make the journey, and he needed it to more than ever now.

Within the cup holder, a cell phone buzzed.

Recognizing responsibility to keep the roads safe, the driver chose to ignore the text. He instead kept his eyes planted to the road, watching the sides of both streets for a gap between cars. And after a few moments longer, near (but not touching) the corner, he found a spot to park.

With no vehicles behind him, he carefully pulled to the curb. When the parking brake was firmly applied and the ignition cut, he checked his phone at last.

 **Mom: Please text when you're here, I've gone home for a few minutes to grab their blanket. I hope the hospital will let me give it to them.**

He read over the text with sorrowful eyes. Typing as quickly as he could manage, he replied:

 **Me: im here at the hospital now, im going to go in**

The message sent, he clicked his phone to sleep, stuck it in his jacket pocket, and, after checking the sideview mirror, stepped out of his car. His eyes immediately found the facade of the hospital, and the room windows lined in rows across the side. Lights were on in several. He couldn't help but wonder which one belonged to his sibling.

Asriel closed his eyes. A slow-burning sigh escaped his lungs.

* * *

"It's... what?"

For Lancer and Susie, a deep bout of confusion washed over their features quickly, with scrunched eyebrows and sideswiped glances to each other. Ralsei's heart continued to pound against his ribcage, seemingly a prisoner desperate to break free. Sweat accumulated in his fur, his breathing choppy and forced.

A bout of silence followed her question from all three teammates. Susie allowed herself to wait for a reply, but when she could tell none was forthcoming from Ralsei, she spoke again: "Ralsei... what do you mean their SOUL is gone? They'd be _dead,_ wouldn't they?"

The words danced around Ralsei's tongue, and it took a concentrated effort to find his voice. "I-I... I just... _it's not there_ _anymore."_

"What are you talking about?" Lancer said. "Like Susie said, if they don't have a SOUL, they can't survive, right?"

"... Not exactly."

His voice a touch more calm and steady, Ralsei brought himself to his feet. His eyes looked over Kris' unconscious state again, but with an expression neither Susie nor Lancer could place. "I've only read about it a little, from old reports in the castle library... but it's _possible_ for a SOUL to be separated from the body. The holder would only die if it were destroyed, and taking it out isn't enough..."

"Wait wait wait. Their SOUL is _separated_ from them?" Susie's voice carried overwhelming disbelief. "How is that even possible? What could've-"

"I don't know! I don't _know_ how this happened!" Ralsei's outburst was unlike any she'd heard from her friend. Pure, wide-eyed terror adorned his expression, plain to see. "But if it's not here, it's out there _somewhere!_ We have to go and find it, before something-"

"Your fifteen minutes are up."

All three whipped on their heels to the source of the new voice. Big Mouth was standing in the doorframe, a clipboard in hand, and they scribbled a note on the attached document.

"Can't we just-"

"No. I'm afraid it's time to leave."

Susie's hand clenched in a white-knuckle fist. With a broad sweep past Big Mouth and the doorframe, she stormed out the room, and Lancer followed close on her heels. Ralsei spared one final look at Kris, and then quietly filed out.

With the room empty, Big Mouth closed the door, and began down the hall in the opposite direction. The three were left to themselves once again.

"... God damn it. Damn it damn it _damn it!"_

Susie punched her fist into her open palm. Her countenance an expression of pure fury, she felt a near irresistible urge to burst back into Kris' room. But sensing her emotions with acute perceptivity, Lancer tugged at her sleeve, and her gaze fell upon him. He wore upon his face a slight frown, one she remembered from their encounter in the dungeon.

Maybe it _was_ a lifetime ago.

"Guys, listen to me," Ralsei said. He earned both their attention. "We have to _go,_ while there's still time. Kris' SOUL could be-"

"What's that about Kris?"

Another interruption, another new voice. The source being the end of the hall they first came through, the three turned to look. What Ralsei saw caused his jaw to drop, and his breath to freeze in place.

Standing before the three was a goat monster, whom Ralsei pegged as perhaps a few years older than himself. His horns were slightly larger, but with no tint of pink to be found; he wore a green and yellow sweater, and brown pants. He didn't need shoes.

A quiet, almost intense staredown commenced between the two parties. The newcomer brought a closed fist to his mouth, and coughed.

"Um... sorry about that. I guess I got a little jumpy."

"Who are you?"

Susie's question was blunt, and with inflection to match. The recipient rubbed the back of his head, a nervous chuckle following. "My name's Asriel. Who are _you?"_

From left to right, Susie glanced from the corners of her eyes to her companions, gauging their interest in answering. When no such luck materialized, she made a muffled grunt of annoyance. "Susie. This is Ralsei, in the green, and Lancer with the bag." She crossed her arms. "What's your deal with Kris?"

"I'm actually here to visit them. They're my sibling."

Ralsei could hardly comprehend what he just heard.

"You're... Kris has a _brother_ _?!_ _"_

Another small smile from Asriel. "Yep, they sure do! But I've been away at college, so I haven't been able to see them in a while. I was actually supposed to come home for a visit next week, but..."

The smile wasn't long. With a small pause between remarks, and a pocket of quiet engulfing the hallway, he then said: "Are you guys here to visit them too?"

"We already did," Susie said, "and they only gave us fifteen minutes. Exactly."

"Really? Huh," Asriel said. He scratched the top of his head. "I'd better wait to go in, then. Can we go sit in the lobby?"

Asriel turned and proceeded down the hall. Susie and Lancer exchanged glances with each other, then to Ralsei. Communication with nervous eyes eliminated the need for speech, but Susie chose to say it anyway:

"... Should we tell him?"

Ralsei's shoulders sagged. With a forlorn creasing of his eyebrows behind his hat and scarf, he had no choice but a solemn nod. "We _have_ to, Susie. It wouldn't be right to hide it from Kris' family."

"Yeah, you're probably right..." Susie mumbled. "Might as well rip the band-aid off."

Susie led the way, to follow in Asriel's footsteps. Her companions stuck close. She pushed the doors open and stepped into the hospital lobby.

Asriel was seated at the couch, near the opposite wall. He failed to notice the three enter the room, for he was busy conversing with someone holding a blanket in her lap. It came as less of a shock to Ralsei than Asriel's introduction, but a slight gasp escaped nevertheless.

Now it was Susie's turn to feel a pit in her stomach.

Ms. Toriel looked as if she hadn't slept in days. Her eyelids drooped, with a network of wrinkles underneath; her posture was slouched and unbalanced, her clothes in a similar state of dishevelment. She had been quietly speaking to Asriel when the three arrived, and from what the three could hear, her voice was choppy and worn.

With hesitancy puncturing every step, Susie approached the two. Asriel caught this from the corner of his eye, and with a wave of his hand he beckoned them over. Even Ms. Toriel managed a small, gentle smile, and she rose to her feet.

"Why, you must be Kris' new friends. It's a pleasure."

Susie knit her brows. "Uh... yeah." Once again she looked to the others, but with a glaze of panic in her eyes; her mind raced to deliver a believable story. "We're, um, all in the same group for our project in class. We wanted to come visit."

"Why, that's wonderful. I feel they've been quite lonely the past year, I'm so glad they're coming out of their shell a bit."

Her tone was sincere, but Susie discerned a deep drop in her countenance. Ms. Toriel carried with her deeply concerned body language, a sheer sense of _exhaustion_. With a sigh, she returned to her place on the couch and lowered her head just a touch. Her eyes found her lap.

Susie watched the sight before her with blank eyes. A lone memory strayed into her head:

 _Kris. You've got a good mother._ _It'd be a shame to make her bury her child._

"... Ms. Toriel?"

She had renewed her attention.

Susie took a long, eyes-closed exhale. Her feet proved fidgety, and she focused her attention on the ground. But after several long moments, she managed to force herself to look at the person before her, and establish eye contact.

"You know, I've only known Kris for a little while. Like, a _few days_ while. I'd never really talked to them before then, but... I kinda wish I did. Kris is a good friend, and we're lucky to know them."

Another smile began to tug at the corners of Ms. Toriel's lips.

"... Uh, I'm not really sure where to go with that, actually. I just wanted to tell you."

Asriel couldn't help but chuckle at the impromptu nature of the statement. But a large, grateful smile ran wide across his face, and he looked over at his mother with hopes of a similar reaction. She was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.

"... I do hope Kris will wake up soon. They need to spend more time with you all."

Susie allowed a sheepish grin. She decided to take a step back, and see if either her companions had anything more to add. She expected Ralsei to speak up, but to her mild surprise it was Lancer that came forward. He slipped his drawstring bag from his shoulders, reached inside, and came up with his MP3 player. He offered it to Ms. Toriel, and she looked over the device in his hand quietly.

"Oh... what's this?"

"Music to make you feel better! It's a shorter playlist than my other ones, but it always helps me out."

Ms. Toriel accepted the earphones, and slipped them into place. She pressed play on the device, and after a few moments she gave Lancer a gentle smile. "It's very kind of you. Thank you."

Lancer's smile widened, tongue and all. He replaced his bag on his shoulders. A calm silence overtook the group, with only the hum of overhead lights for company. But after a short stretch of this relative serenity, Asriel then spoke up:

"Has dad come to visit yet?"

The question was directed to his mother, rather than the group of three, but all in the room perked in curiosity. Ms. Toriel wore an expression they couldn't quite place, but she nodded nevertheless.

"Yes, earlier this afternoon. He's spent most of today at the police station, and he's been keeping me updated."

"Anything new?"

"No, nothing we don't already know." Ms. Toriel took the right earphone in her fingers, the side Asriel sat on, and focused her attention on her son. "But it's still an active investigation, I'm not surprised."

Ralsei's heart skipped a beat.

"Have they told him the location? Where did they find Kris?"

Ms. Toriel raised an eyebrow. "Um, on the southern edge of town, near the locked doors. They-"

That was all Ralsei needed to hear. In a sprint he ran to the hospital doors, a bewildered Susie and Lancer watching his every move; he motioned for the two to follow, took two steps down the sidewalk, and then stuck his head back in the open doorframe.

"We'll be back soon, just-just stay here! We'll explain everything in a little bit!"

Footsteps filled the open air, followed by the closing of the door at last. Susie turned to Asriel and Ms. Toriel, and prepared to make a statement of confusion.

And then her eyes widened. She understood everything. The shift in Lancer's position told her he felt the same.

"Um... we'll be right back."

* * *

A chilly night had settled over the town, and the moon was nowhere to be found.

The illuminated street lamps lining the sidewalks his only guide, Ralsei's scarf and hat whipped about as he ran. Tears stung his eyes from the biting wind seeping over his glasses, but save for an occasional blink, he paid no heed. Urgency charged his every step, even in a directionless pursuit.

The hospital was several blocks back by now. He'd followed a basic path south, but beyond that he realized he was uncertain; the walk through town earlier hadn't been enough to familiarize himself.

"RALSEI!"

Lancer's voice from down the street carried far enough for him to hear. With punctured breaths emerging from exhaustion, Ralsei finally came to a halt, and waited for the others to catch up. The familiar forms of Lancer and Susie came to his side moments later, with similar huffs and puffs from both.

"J... _jeez_ dude," Susie gasped, hands planted on her knees. "You... you didn't sprint that fast before...!"

"That's for sure," Lancer said, between short breaths. "I wish I had my bike."

Ralsei lowered his scarf beneath his chin. Sucking in a breath of cold air, he cleared his throat and directed his gaze to Susie.

"Susie, where are the doors? Are we going the right way?"

She made herself stand up straight, and momentarily took stock in the environment. "Yeah... the town hall and church are down the road. There's a long stretch of trees, and the doors are at the end of it."

Ralsei, adopting a brisk walk in lieu of a sprint, continued the trek down the road. Susie had a strong feeling she knew what he was thinking, but chose to ask anyway:

"Do you think their SOUL is there?"

Without breaking stride, Ralsei turned his head slightly to face her. "Maybe. There's a good chance."

With the end of the street coming up close, Ralsei squinted. He could vaguely discern the row of trees in the distance, but the whole path was shrouded in darkness: no street lights went beyond the sidewalks. It was only at the mouth of the entrance that the three came to a halt.

"... Well, it's down there." Susie's voice, try as she might to hide it, carried a hint of uncertainty. "Anyone got a flashlight?"

Lancer shook his head. But Ralsei lowered his sweater's sleeve, and held his palm out face-up. A ball of light, a few inches in diameter, appeared in his hand, and provided illumination to the group's immediate surroundings.

"This is the best I can do... just stick close and we'll be okay."

Ralsei led the way down the forest path. With the short distance Ralsei's magic provided light, Susie and Lancer heeded his advice to stay together. Conversation was entirely absent, but they kept their eyes planted firmly in the rows of trees.

"See it yet?" Lancer said, to no one in particular. A response came in the form of a grunt from Susie.

"Nothing," Ralsei said. "Susie, what do the doors look like?"

"Uh... it's literally a giant mound of dirt. You can't-"

"Look over there!"

Lancer pointed to a particular patch of darkness, meters beyond the nearest cluster of trees. Susie squinted to see as best she could, but Ralsei held his hand further out.

Sure enough, just in the foreground, the doors upon them. Susie gazed momentarily. She had only come here once or twice before, and then out of fleeting curiosity; the chill of the night did her frayed nerves no favors.

"Ralsei, what are we looking for?" Lancer said. "Did they just _drop_ their SOUL here?"

"I'm not sure. Let me cast a spell."

The white glow in Ralsei's hand turned a crimson red. The light dimmed. His companions focused intently on the spectacle, but he paid no heed to their senses of curiosity. All he could do is close his eyes, and attune his senses...

And then he felt it. A small ripple, near the doors themselves. He ran to the source, shuffling footsteps behind him, and with his feet planted in the cold dirt he knelt.

"... Kris was here. Definitely."

"How do you know?" Lancer said. His voice carried an air of doubt. "What'd you even _do?"_

"I cast a healing spell. You guys know how Kris' SOUL is red, right?"

"Yeah? What about it?" Susie said.

"Human SOULs are different from other creatures," Ralsei continued. He worked fast to remember the readings from the Castle Town library. "They have different colors, depending on their strength, and red is the strongest of them all. It's _impossible_ to miss. I cast the healing spell to track it down."

"So is it here?"

Ralsei came to his feet. Even in the dark, Susie and Lancer could identify his forlorn gaze, dejected body language permeating his person.

"No... it was only a trace. Their SOUL is _so_ strong, they can leave signatures behind, even if they don't mean to. But I can't find anything else."

The hammer fell on Susie and Lancer. The latter could find nothing to say, while the former fumbled for words. In the end, she could only find a single question to ask:

"... What do we do now?

Ralsei lowered his glasses. As he'd done so many times that day, he took a corner of his scarf and gently wiped his eye.

"We keep looking. Somewhere else."

"But _where_ else?" Susie's eyes and tone were awash with impatience, and desperation to match. _"Where?!"_

"I don't know..."

Ralsei could hardly muster more than a whisper. His eyes were closed tight, face deeply obscured behind his scarf. His hands were balled in loose fists, but after a moment, his fingers sprouted open. His arms fell to his sides.

"Guys, we need to keep searching. It _has_ to be somewhere close."

"Yeah, but where should we even go?" Lancer said. "It'll take forever to look _everywhere_ in town."

Ralsei pondered this for a moment. Susie watched him, but only with loose interest. She found her mind split on too many different thoughts, too many possibilities. Where's the SOUL, where _isn't_ the SOUL? Can it even be found? Is it damaged? What could she even do?

A sinking, dulled frown spread across her features. She half-expected Ralsei to have a similar reaction, and she deflected her attention to him for a moment.

What she saw caused her to double take.

With a straightening of his posture, Ralsei shed his former dispirit, and adopted an expression of persistence, of sheer determination. He tightened his fist once again, and held it close to his chest. His eyes shifted to the pathway of trees.

"Let's go back. We're not giving up yet."


	4. Chapter 4

The walk back to the hospital was steeped in silence.

As the familiar structure came into view at the end of the street, they saw the exterior lights had been activated. The building almost seemed to glow, a product of persistent maintenance and a spotless exterior. From a distance, it looked warm, _inviting_ even.

The three dreaded their return.

"We still need to tell them, you know."

Susie broke the ice. Ralsei could only make himself nod, and behind his scarf, his voice emerged muffled: "I know... I was hoping we'd have Kris' SOUL with us by now. But I guess we can't put it off anymore."

A small frown rippled across Susie's lips. From the corner of her eye, she stole a glance at Lancer, and he returned the gesture in kind; she could sense a nearly identical dispirit to her own, but she did her best not to make it too obvious. He wasn't as skilled at hiding his feelings.

"What are we even gonna do now?" Lancer said. "Where should we look next?"

"Right now, I'm not sure. But I think I know how to find out."

Ralsei's answer earned a raised eyebrow from Susie. "How?" she asked.

"We'll just have to retrace some steps, find out all the places Kris likes to go. They probably lost it somewhere familiar to them, maybe Asriel can help us."

"Yeah... yeah, maybe." It wasn't a flawless plan, but Susie recognized it was better than nothing. With a bit of a rejuvenation in her steps, she led the way to the hospital door and opened for the others. When Ralsei and Lancer had filed through, she joined them in the lobby.

What she saw next caused her to stop dead in her tracks.

Asriel and Ms. Toriel had disappeared. Occupying their former place on the couch was another goat monster, but one they had yet to meet: he wore a pink floral shirt and purple sweatpants. A tuft of golden hair ran a ring from the sides his face to his scalp, and the horns were impossible to miss.

The pieces immediately came together. This was Kris' father, whom Asriel had mentioned earlier. She still didn't know his name.

He had been sitting quietly, hands folded in his lap and eyes planted to the ground, when they walked in. But sensing the group's lingering presence, he looked up and smiled. Susie could tell he had great difficulty in doing so.

"Howdy."

His voice came as a mumble, hardly above a whisper. Susie coughed.

"Uh... hi."

Asgore's gaze returned to its former position. Susie exchanged a glance with Ralsei, and he carried a perplexed countenance. He learned closer to her, giving him the chance to lower his voice. "Um, Susie, who's this?"

"I think it's-"

Before she could finish, the doors at the opposite end of the lobby opened. The one in question came to his feet.

Asriel and Ms. Toriel emerged from the open doorframe. In the latter's case, her posture showed a fair amount of slouching, the tired eyes of earlier just as present as ever: a seemingly permanent frown remained embedded as her expression. She gently wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

Asriel fared little better.

With a candid step forward, Asriel approached the couch. With no words said, his father opened his arms, and he stepped into his embrace. He tightly clutched the fabric of his shirt.

"Dad..."

"It'll be alright, Asriel. I promise."

Susie quietly watched the scene before her. With each breath they took, every pat of the back, every shiver Asriel couldn't contain, she felt a needle pierce her heart. As hard as this was for she and her friends, she couldn't _imagine_ how Kris' family felt.

The lobby remained under a spell of silence for just a few moments longer. But then, with a clearing of her throat, Ms. Toriel spoke in a monotone voice:

"Asgore."

Susie made a mental note. _So that's his name..._

At last, Asriel shifted away from the hug. He made a step to the side, and then he caught sight of the group of three. He managed a faint smile, but it fell from his lips almost as soon as it had arrived.

With a full range of motion, Asgore sheepishly stuck his hands in his pockets. "Yes?"

"When did you get here?"

"Um, about ten minutes ago. I was told by the station there probably wouldn't be anything new tonight."

Ms. Toriel sighed. "I understand. Are you going in again?"

"Soon," Asgore said. Sadness dripped from his voice, face to match. "I wanted to make sure you two were okay first."

Ms. Toriel said nothing. To Susie's surprise, she instead turned her attention to the three. She felt a rush to return to herself, as if she'd been a fly on the wall the whole time.

"Will you three need rides home? I imagine your parents are starting to worry."

Susie blinked. Yet again, she needed to come in the clutch with an excuse, but this one mercifully proved easier: "I think we'll be alright. We all live in town."

She nodded. "In that case, I think I'm going to stay a little longer." Shifting her head to Asriel, she then said: "Asriel, will you be going home?"

"Yeah... I think I'm ready to-"

"Wait!"

Every pair of eyes darted to the source of the outburst. Ralsei immediately bit his lower lip, his knees suddenly on unstable ground. He felt a sudden, nearly irresistible pressure to curl in a ball, to wither under the gazes of so many.

But he knew there was a job to do. He steadied his emotions with a long pause, a chance to breathe in, breathe out.

"... Asriel, don't go yet. I need to tell you all something."

Tilted heads and furrowed brows followed. But he had firmly captured the attention of everyone in the room, and they all settled where they were.

Ralsei had prepared for this moment. Summoning all the courage he could muster in his voice, he said:

"Ms. Toriel, what have the doctors told you about Kris' condition?"

She was caught entirely off-guard by this question. She allowed herself time to collect everything she could remember, but there wasn't much to be done. "Um, not much... they're not sure why they're unresponsive yet. After a few more tests, they'll know more."

Ralsei had nothing to add with speech. Rather, he reached his arm forward, and pointed his palm to the ceiling. The same spell he'd cast at the doors, the crimson red orb, transfixed above his hand for all to see.

Asriel nearly choked on his own words.

"Is-is that... you know _healing magic?!"_

Susie raised an eyebrow. "So? What's so special?"

"What's so special? It takes _years_ to master," Asriel said. "There aren't many that can control magic anymore, and even fewer can use it for recovery. My school had to drop their magic program. Where did you learn it?"

Ralsei tugged at his scarf. "I, um, think it'd be better to save that for later."

Asriel shrugged. He admired the spell for a moment longer, and Ralsei felt himself a touch flattered at his amazement; at the same time, he recognized what he had to do next, and so he dissipated the spell.

"What do you know about SOULs? Human SOULs, in particular?"

The question was addressed to no one in particular. But with interest generated from the prior demonstration, Asriel took the initiative. "Um, a _few_ things? I've done some research before, but I'm kinda rusty. Why?"

Ralsei dipped his head, and he lowered his face into his scarf. He could already tell making eye contact would prove to be a mistake.

"A SOUL is, in a sense, what makes a person a _person_. It's a physical manifestation of themselves, everything they are. But a SOUL isn't invincible, it can be attacked, or damaged, or even _worse..."_

A long, tense silence enveloped the room. Ralsei could feel his nervousness rise, but he had to press on.

"... I tried to use my magic on Kris today, to check for what's wrong. I can only heal damage to SOULs, but I wanted to see if they were hurt."

His voice proved fleeting in the final portion of his speech. Ms. Toriel, hand to mouth, watched him with rapt attention, and Asriel and Asgore maintained similar anticipation. He felt his gut twist in a knot, his chest rising and falling with shallow breath. Fear stayed his voice.

"Please tell me what happened."

It was Asriel that spoke. Ralsei's eyes, against his own volition, made contact with Asriel's, and in that moment he gripped the hem of his sweater.

"I-I couldn't do anything because they don't _have_ their SOUL with them." His breathing quickened, panic rising in his voice. "That's why they're unconscious... that's why they can't wake up, that's why the doctors don't know anything, their SOUL is _missing!"_

The words erupted from his mouth like a geyser. Deep within himself, he knew he was right to tell the truth.

With every fiber of his being, he also wished could take it back.

The news exploded like a bombshell to Kris' family. He felt himself aghast at the scene: confusion, terror, disbelief, everything merged in a concoction _he_ had created. Panic and worry swept across their faces, with desperate side conversations sprouting. He exhaled. He couldn't, no, _wouldn't_ leave things like this. But Asriel beat him to the punch:

"Missing? What do you mean _missing?_ _"_

He made no effort to hide the brunt of his confusion. In no uncertain terms, Susie came rushing in for clarity.

"Guys, it's as simple as this: Kris' SOUL is missing from their body. Not gone forever, but _missing._ Somehow it was separated from them, and we have to find it and bring it back. _That's_ how they wake up, and _that's_ how we fix this damn mess."

Ralsei stared at his friend with wide eyes, mouth agape. Her words burst through like a battering ram. But it was exactly what needed to be said, and he chose to withhold his own remarks, panicked and jumbled as they would've been.

Asriel, try as he might, couldn't hide his state of shock from his eyes. But he managed to collect himself a bit, and calm down to find his voice. "But... but how? What can we do? Where do we even _start?!"_

"We already have. We went to the doors in the forest, where Kris were found this morning," Susie said. "Wasn't there. Do you guys know where else Kris likes to hang out? We need to check other places."

Perhaps instinctively, Susie's eyes redirected to Ms. Toriel. Her countenance mirrored that of her son, but her hand was brought to her chin, and her posture spoke to her as deep in thought. "There's a _few_ places, off the top of my head. School, home, the lake, the diner... the flower shop." She shot Asgore a glare at the mention of the shop, but she dropped it quickly: it wasn't the time, nor the place. Regardless, Asriel nodded in full agreement of the list.

"We would always go to those places after school. Those are probably the best bets."

"We'll need to look in all of them, then," Susie said. "I don't care it's a blind goose chase, that's all we can _do_ right now. Can we meet back here in an hour?"

More nods spread across the room. Susie turned to march out the hospital doors, Lancer fast on her heels, and with a bit of spring in their steps they were gone. Ralsei watched them leave, then turned to those remaining in the room.

"... If you find their SOUL, please don't touch it. I might need to use my magic on it."

With that, Ralsei ran out the doors to rejoin his companions. Asriel turned to his father.

"Dad, has Kris come to see you at the shop recently?"

"They came a few days ago, but they didn't stay long," Asgore said. "I'll check the lake, too."

Shifting his gaze to his mother, Asriel prepared himself to speak, but a firmly raised hand on her behalf ushered silence. She carried a new air of confidence, one he found a welcome contrast to just hours before.

"I will go to the school. If I find it, I will let you all know by text."

Asriel nodded. Like Susie moments before, he went to the doors with vigor. It was only with one foot out, however, that a sobering thought crossed his mind, and he turned over his shoulder to speak it aloud.

"Crap... we never got their numbers."

* * *

"Hey, Susie?"

From the corner of her eye, Susie's gaze trickled to the form of Lancer, who kept pace with her as she walked. "Yeah?"

"Are we _actually_ gonna find it here?"

Lancer's question was blunt, almost comically so. But she knew it carried a fair point, and she had a few thoughts on the matter:

"No, probably not. We need to look to be sure, but why the hell would they lose their SOUL at a _diner?"_

"I don't know, maybe they got food poisoning. Or a fight. Anything, really."

At this, Ralsei couldn't resist interjecting. "Lancer, in our _entire_ adventure to the Eastern Fountain, Kris never used an attack. Why would they now?"

"Well, who said they _started_ it? Maybe they got suckered in, after-"

"We're here."

Quietly, Susie was very grateful the diner was reasonably close to the hospital. Eager to bring the conversation to a halt, and to step out of the chilly night air, she pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Ralsei and Lancer followed her closely.

To her mild surprise (and heavy annoyance), the diner was almost entirely full. A plethora of laughter and conversation bounced from the walls, with families and friends alike congregated at tables and the counter; a single booth remained open in the corner. The awkwardness of walking around and looking for a little red heart was not lost upon her.

"Hi, and welcome to QC's Diner! If you'll follow me, we'll get you seated right away."

The introduction from the server startled Susie from her thoughts. By the time she opened her mouth to refute (though she had no clue what to say), Lancer was halfway to the table. She stared blankly, and she could sense a similar reaction from Ralsei.

He waved for the two to join him. Now she stepped into the dining area and approached the table.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

"I haven't eaten for hours, and we didn't even get to have the cakes this afternoon! Come on, let's get a quick bite."

"Man, we're just here for a few minutes. I don't think we have time-"

Susie found herself interrupted by a distinct growl of her stomach. Behind her curtain of hair, a faint blush settled in.

"... Fine. But _you're_ paying."

Susie slid into the booth's bench opposite Lancer, and Ralsei took a seat next to her. With a big, tongue-out grin, Lancer reached for his drawstring bag and pried it open. He pulled out a fistful of silver and gold coins.

"They accept these in the Light World, right?"

"Uh... yeah, sure."

Lancer's hand returned to the bag and put the coins back in place. Susie straightened her posture within the booth, and she craned her neck to look behind her; her eyes danced around the corners of the room. Occasionally people rose from their seats, and footsteps cascaded through the aisles on a regular basis. "Y'know, I _really_ hope Kris didn't lose it here," she said as she slid back into place.

"Huh? Why?" Lancer said.

"It's cramped. Someone would've found it already." She pressed her hands flat to the table. "But just to be sure, I'm gonna take a _quick_ walk around."

"It's not here."

It was Ralsei that spoke, his first utterance since they'd entered the diner. Susie gave him a quizzical look, and he responded by lifting his hand. A tint of red lingered in his palm, and she knew he'd used the tracking spell. "I kept my hands in my pockets, so we didn't draw attention. Kris' SOUL isn't near the building."

Susie had expected the outcome from the beginning, but contrary to her earlier remarks, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of disappointment. "Damn... did you see anything else?"

Ralsei shifted his scarf. "It's the same as it was at the doors. I can tell they've been here in the past few days, but the SOUL is somewhere else."

"Kris has been _here,_ too?" Susie scratched the top of her head. "Can you, like, put a date on it?"

"Um, maybe three or four days?" Ralsei replied. "Why?"

Susie crossed her arms, and leaned back into the booth. "It's strange. I don't know what happened before they were hospitalized, but where'd they find the time to go everywhere in town? _Why_ did they?"

"Who knows?" Lancer said with a shrug. He'd been looking over the menu, but with his entrance to the conversation he set it flat on the table. "It just makes more places for us to look, right?"

"I guess. It's just..." She interrupted herself with a sigh. "Something doesn't feel right. I don't know how to explain it."

"You all ready to order?"

The server from earlier had returned, towering over the three at the table. She never heard them approach. She hadn't even bothered to look at the menu.

"... I'll need a couple minutes."

* * *

With house key in hand, Asriel turned the lock. With his thumb on the lever, he pushed down, and opened the door to step inside his home. Muscle memory guided every step, steps he'd done two million times before in his life.

This _one_ time was a little different.

Inside the house, it was impossible to see. Again summoning his memory for guidance, he reached for the light switch on the nearby wall: with a flick of his finger, the room flooded with light. Still standing in the open doorframe, he couldn't help but take inventory.

The kitchen was immaculate, as he expected. The living room bore similar care and attention to detail, with Chairiel particularly spotless, but well-used all the same. The sight brought a smile to his face. Memories rolled in, of all the fun and laughter he and Kris shared in this room. With their years growing up together, he had a million and one memories he could look back on.

The smile wasn't long for him. This horrible day wasn't over.

Asriel closed the door behind him. With no further attention spared, he walked through the ground level of his home, and climbed the stairs two at a time. When he reached the top, the bedroom door was within eyesight.

 _Okay..._

Asriel came to the door. He turned the doorknob and let himself inside.

Like the living room downstairs, their shared bedroom was dark. Only light streaming from the hallway gave form to the objects inside, and using this, he looked around.

His side of the room remained untouched. His old computer monitor sat on his desk, a thin coat of dust covering the surface. All his trophies and awards stocked the shelves above his bed, and his collection of CDs and video games in boxes below.

Kris' side was as empty as when he left. Empty, except for one oddity he could never explain why they kept: an old red wagon from years and years ago, with a rusty birdcage stuck to the top. If he so much as _looked_ at it the wrong way, it was bound to fall apart.

But Asriel couldn't look. He could hardly _breathe._ The red glow emanating from within the cage made the room heavy, and his lungs and throat felt like they filled with hot lead.

It was unbearable.

Asriel ran out the room. In the hallway, he collapsed to the floor, but with a desperate lunge he reached for the doorknob and yanked it shut. He sat back pressed firmly to the wall, panting deeply. Sweat accumulated in his fur, and he held his hand to his heart: a rapid, throbbing heart rate sent his senses into overdrive.

Minutes passed. In time, his breathing slowed, and his wide eyes and frantic body language calmed. What he could perhaps describe as a normal expression returned to his face. He took stock of himself, and his nerves. He breathed a deep sigh of relief, cherishing the coolness of the air around him.

Then his eyes darted to the door.

Slowly, Asriel came to his feet. His hand returned to the knob. With perhaps a quarter of the force of the first time, he opened it a crack, and no more. His line of sight pointed directly to Kris' corner of the room.

The wagon and birdcage remained, still as ever. And behind those rusted bars, pulsing sporadically with a deep red glow, was a very small heart. Even from this distance, he was able to judge he could fit it in his palm.

Asriel reached into his pocket. His phone in hand, he opened his texts and prepared to send word.


	5. Chapter 5

Ms. Toriel had only just exited Ms. Alphys' classroom when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

A sigh escaped her lips. Choosing to ignore the text for a moment, she instead remained still in the open doorframe of the classroom. The tick of a nearby clock proved the only counter to silence, and her eyes trickled to look. The face was obscured by a poor line of sight.

She dug her phone out and pressed the home button. It was almost 9. And below the time was a text just one minute old:

 **Asriel: where are you**

She furrowed her brows.

 **Me: I'm still at the school. It's not here, so I'll be heading back to the hospital soon.**

Asriel has been typing concurrently to herself. Just as she hit send, another of his messages appeared on her screen.

 **Asriel: i found the soul, its in our room**

Her heart leapt into her throat. The text bubble appeared, and with a few more seconds she received more news.

 **Asriel: i need you and dad to come to the house, im going to go find the others**

Ms. Toriel sent only a one word affirmation. With renewed vigor, she ran to the doors of the school and pushed open into the chill of the night.

* * *

"Alrighty, refreshed and ready to go! Where to?"

With a big grin on his face, Lancer gave his stomach a double pat. Ralsei's countenance carried a smaller, but still warm smile, and even Susie had to admit she was feeling quite a bit better than before. It had been a long day, and a short chance to recuperate energy proved very beneficial.

"We should probably go back to the hospital. It's getting close to an hour now," Ralsei said. Lancer nodded, and hastily readjusted his bag on his shoulders. The bag itself was quite a bit heavier than when they went in, and Ralsei instinctively reached his hand forward. "Hey, watch the boxes!"

"Huh? Oh, heh, sorry!"

Susie bore a mild smirk from the exchange, but she agreed with Ralsei nevertheless. "Be a little more careful, dude. We got them sandwiches, not pancakes."

Lancer broke out into a fit of giggles. Ralsei chuckled a bit as well, and when he concluded, he gave Susie a sincere smile. "Susie, it was a good idea to get Kris' family meals. I'm sure they'll be quite grateful."

"Yeah, I doubt they've had much to eat today," she said. "And a king picked up the tab. Why not?"

Ralsei nodded. When conversation faded amongst them, he came to recognize the group's newfound exposure in the cold night air: he lifted his scarf to cover the lower half of his face. "We should get going, I hope we're not keeping them waiting."

Susie turned herself to begin down the sidewalk, and the trek to the hospital. But it was _only_ then that she faced the road for the first time, and caught sight of a pair of headlights rounding a nearby corner. She expected the car to continue down the road, but it pulled rather suddenly to the curb and stopped.

Without bothering to kill the ignition, the driver stepped out of the car. It was Asriel.

"There you are! I've been looking for you guys everywhere."

"Asriel? What's going on?" Ralsei said. But Asriel's wide eyes and frantic body language gave him a clue what was coming next. He felt a rush of adrenaline.

"We found Kris' SOUL. Come on, let's get going."

Susie felt goosebumps run along her arms. In the time she processed such, Ralsei had already sprinted to the backseat, and Lancer followed close behind him. She stepped to the passenger side, yanked the door open, and fastened her seatbelt.

Asriel retook his place behind the wheel. With a quick check of the roads, he pulled away from the curb and continued down the street. Susie took the initiative:

"Where did you find it?"

"Our bedroom. I went to the house first, and it was just sitting there."

"Your _bedroom?"_ she said, with no attempt to mask her surprise. "That's... a little anticlimactic, actually."

"You haven't seen it yet."

Susie had been partially joking, but she found her remark was completely lost on Asriel. His expression remained deathly serious, and he clutched the steering wheel tightly. She redirected her eyes to the window.

"... Ralsei, how powerful is your magic?"

The question surprised Ralsei, and snapped him from a miniature trance. Like Susie, he'd been quietly staring out the window. "Oh, um, fairly? I've studied all my life. How badly is their SOUL damaged?"

"See, that's the thing. I don't know if it _is_ or not," Asriel said. "It looks fine from a distance, but is it normal to feel pain around it?"

"... Pain?"

Ralsei found himself caught entirely off guard. Asriel noticed this from the rearview mirror, and took it as license to continue. "Yeah, like... it's kinda hard to explain, but I could only stand to be in the room a couple minutes. It was like my insides were on fire, it hurt to _look_ at."

A shiver ran down Ralsei's spine. In the time he had spent with Kris, what Asriel described couldn't be more opposite. He prepared to speak, but at the next turn he found no need.

The car pulled up to the driveway of a two-story home. The pavement stretched on a bit longer, but parked up above was a red minivan and blue truck: Asriel put his vehicle behind the two, and came to a stop. He turned the engine off, blinked twice, and sighed.

"Okay... I hope you know what you're doing, Ralsei."

Everyone unbuckled their seatbelts and stepped out of the car. Asriel led the way to the front door, the others following close behind. A few lights were on in the house, trickling through the windows, but no one dared to make conversation. Asriel put his hand upon the handle and pushed the door open.

What he saw caused him to stop in the frame.

Both his mother and father occupied the living room. From right to left, he quickly scanned over both: Ms. Toriel sat in her reading chair, eyes wide and hands to her mouth, in a state of total petrification. Asgore had been pacing near the kitchen, hand and handkerchief at his forehead, but when the three entered he turned his attention. His expression mirrored his nervous body language.

"... You okay, dad?"

Asgore seemed to swallow a lump in his throat, but after a mild gasp for air he nodded. "Yes, I will be. I just need a few minutes."

Asriel found himself lost in his thoughts for just a few moments, but a tap on his shoulder snapped him to the present. He stepped further into foyer of their home, allowing the others an unobstructed entrance, and the three filed into the living room. Susie took stock of the scene before her, then turned her attention to Ralsei.

"Looks like he wasn't kidding," she mumbled, only in Ralsei's earshot. "They look pretty damn nervous."

"Susie, I want you and Lancer to stay down here and be with them. I'll handle this."

His voice carried absolute certainty. It surprised Susie to hear, and she raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yes... I'm sorry, but whatever's happened to Kris' SOUL, I don't think anyone else should go in. I'll make things better, I promise."

She pondered this for a moment, and felt a temptation to refute; but with the sheer determination dripping from Ralsei's body language, poise and stone-set expression alike, she knew there was no swaying him. She sighed.

"Okay. But if you need us, we'll be here."

He nodded. With no more said, he walked to the staircase of Kris' home, and began the ascent.

When he reached the top, he took stock of the hallway. He wasn't sure which, but one of these rooms belonged to Kris... and housed their SOUL. He stepped over to the first, and stood before the closed door.

Then he felt it. A tingle at the back of his neck, almost like a mosquito bite. His heart beat faster.

This was it.

His hand went for the doorknob. But Asriel's warning wasn't lost upon him, and with this in mind, Ralsei could only stand to open the door a crack. He peeked inside.

There were no lights on in the room. From the wall lamps in the hallway, only fleeting outlines of furniture were visible to him, and from there he could only make out the foot of a bed. He imagined things were scattered around the floor, and other loose possessions jumbled about.

And then, the corner of the room. A beat-up, dented red wagon, with a old, rusted birdcage fixed to the top. The cage contained what he searched for so desperately.

Ralsei opened the door a touch more. He stepped inside, and with a careful effort to muffle noise, closed the door behind him. He stared intently.

 _I could only stand to be in the room a couple minutes. Like my insides were on fire._

Ralsei felt spikes of pain in his chest, pins and needles poking all around his body. He ignored it. With a tight grit of his teeth, he dropped to his knees and reached for the bird cage, yanking at the miniature door embedded in the side. It wouldn't budge, too rusted from years of exposure.

With a final effort, he pulled at the cage's door so hard it slipped from his fingers. The wagon rolled to the wall and crashed, and a searing jab struck Ralsei in the heart. He cried out, his hat falling to the ground.

The room was becoming unbearably hot. Ralsei felt his heart run a mile a minute, each heartbeat pulsing in his ears and head. He felt dizzy. Sickness welled in his stomach, and encroached his throat. With a forced return to attention, he honed in squarely on the cage.

He knew he had no room to be gentle. He balled his hand into a tight fist, and charged all the magic he could muster. He swung his fist, harder than even _he_ could've imagined.

The cage exploded. The room erupted in a bright white light, and Ralsei could only shut his eyes. He felt like flames scorched his body to a cinder.

He screamed.

With his ear pressed to the ground, he could hear a serenade of footsteps from the floor below. Then the stairs. A desperate attack on the bedroom door began, but it failed to open. He hadn't locked it, he didn't know how it sealed on its own. It no longer mattered.

His heart pounded. But in the next moments of silence, he felt a calming wave, reducing the agitation of his skin. The burning sensation receded. He made no effort to move, not until it had gone completely.

His eyes blinked open. Total darkness had engulfed the bedroom: everything around him was gone, everything but the twisted remains of the wagon and bird cage. And the SOUL contained within.

Ralsei collected himself to his knees. With a long, deep breath, he placed his hand over his heart, but applied only his fingertips. He winced at first contact, but his expression washed over in relief not long after. The pain had disappeared, for now. A second test yielded a similar result with his forehead. With this concluded, he wiped his hand across his face, and it returned drenched in sweat. Another breath. Another shake of the head. Another gulp.

The SOUL seemed to emit a pulse.

With sluggishness, Ralsei crawled to the remains of the cage. He was tall enough to peer over the top, to look in from an overhead view: this time came with clarity and focus. He looked closely.

He couldn't see any damages. Kris' SOUL looked perfect.

Trembles erupted in his hands. With instability wracking his every nerve, he forced himself to lift his arms, and position them over the broken cage. His breathing became staggered, uneven in rhythm and execution. He could feel every fiber of his being, of his _own_ SOUL, that wanted to turn back now. To cut and run.

He reached lower into the cage, and brought the SOUL into his hands. As gently as he could muster, he cupped the heart and brought it close to himself.

Ralsei closed his eyes.

* * *

Within Kris' SOUL, he could see everything.

He knew the SOUL was the very culmination of a person's being. Their thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams, fears and anxieties: within these confines, everything comes together. There was nothing to hide, nor was there suppressing the power of a SOUL. In his hands, he held everything that made Kris... Kris.

At first touch, he felt a calming warmth. It was the same feeling from his time with Kris, a world and time apart, but so _powerful_ in his mind. The kindness they showed to every living creature, time and time again. The sheer amount of mercy and love contained, it was all so abundant that Ralsei wasn't sure how _any_ SOUL could hold it. Perhaps, only the SOUL of the prophecy was able to.

But Ralsei sensed something more.

Buried beneath the surface, behind the generosity and kindness Ralsei knew so well, was something different. Something he hadn't felt from Kris before, but with the SOUL exposed, it was plain to see now.

There, Ralsei discovered a _darker_ side of Kris.

The sensation of pins and needles returned, creeping along Ralsei's body. He put forth all his strength to ignore it, mind over matter. With time being of the essence, he redoubled his focus, digging deeper to reach the mysterious part of Kris' SOUL. This strange thing he knew nothing about.

And when he got there, he became awash with emotion. Everything spilled out.

Ralsei found himself shivering. This was completely different. It felt _nothing_ like Kris. There wasn't a hint of the their usual self, the hero of the prophecy, and everything he'd come to care about so deeply. No, this felt... foreign.

Contained within this portion of Kris' SOUL was hatred. Anger. Loneliness. Like everything else in their SOUL, it was immensely powerful, more than Ralsei could've imagined. He felt himself struggle to breathe, as if he were buried alive.

Staying here would overwhelm him. He shifted, moving his attention elsewhere. He had to find _why_.

And, in his time of searching, he discovered the answer. The reason for the SOULs intense aggravation, an imperfection. How it began, he had no explanation, but to his horror he discovered Kris' SOUL was _bleeding._ A spillage of terrible things, a dark and desperate well springing up from places unseen. Their SOUL was clutched by this wound, unable to heal, unable to escape itself. It was injured, and it needed help.

Ralsei knew what he had to do.

With all the strength he could muster, Ralsei summoned his strongest healing spell. He had prepared for this moment, and no hesitation stayed his hand: he depleted _all_ his energy in the formation of the spell, and he felt the effects of such immediately. A deep exhaustion coursed through his body, shocking his system in waves. His heart rate slowed, his breathing following close suit. Spots erupted in his vision, he could _feel_ his consciousness hang by a thread.

But with his memories, he bound the spell together. Memories of adventure, of togetherness. Of their friends, of Susie and Lancer. Of their family. Of everyone that loved and cared about them so much.

The spell was ready.

Ralsei looked for the wound of Kris' SOUL, the source of their grief, their anguish, their misery. No more. _No more!_

He pressed the spell to the SOUL. The light disappeared from his hand. The SOUL fluctuated, pulsing in light and bursting forth with energy. He brought it closer to his chest, treasuring the very touch.

With the remains of a smile, he closed his eyes, and everything stopped around him.

...

In the distance, he heard his name. Twice. Three times.

It got louder.

Louder.

"RALSEI!"

With a loud gasp, he was startled awake.

The bedroom came into intense focus. The lights had been turned on, and those in the hallway streamed through the fully open door. And with the newfound illumination, he discovered the form of Susie, kneeling next to him with both her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes were wide, panic adorning her face quite plainly.

"Susie?"

"Oh thank _god."_

Ralsei wanted to say something more, but found himself constricted by a bone-crushing hug. His mouth fell agape. Within her grasp, he could feel Susie trembling, her arms and hands unsteady as she held him tight. He could hear her breathing, a forced gasp of sorts, no structure of balance to be had. He found himself motionless.

And then, another pair of arms wrapped around his body from the other side. He could guess who it was.

"... God _damn_ it dude, do you know how much you-"

"-You had your eyes closed-"

"-we were terrified-"

"-you'd stopped _breathing-"_

"And I can't now!"

Amidst an ocean of back and forth between Susie and Lancer, Ralsei's voice was labored, but he managed to wheeze out his point. Susie promptly released her firm grip, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Lancer followed suit, and he shuffled his feet with his hands behind his back.

"... When we heard the scream, we came running up here. Are you okay?"

Ralsei needed a few moments to catch his breath. When he felt he'd recovered sufficiently to speak, he took a longer look around the room: it was then he noticed Asriel and his parents for the first time, standing in the doorframe, but they all wore similar expressions of shock and worry.

"Didn't you all see that?"

Susie scrunched her brows. "Uh, no? We saw you looking pretty _dead,_ if-"

"No no, forget that! Kris' SOUL, there... _where is it?!"_

Panic exploded in Ralsei's gut. Frantically he looked every which way, eyes darting about. He jolted to his feet, shifting position-

And then he came to his senses. His hands were still clasped together. He slowly brought them open.

Kris' SOUL shined, as brightly as he'd ever seen before. There was no pain. All Ralsei could feel was a deep, calming warmth, the same he'd felt in the Dark World. It was a feeling that lifted his spirit to a height he never believed possible.

Kris was safe.

Ralsei smiled. He dipped his head, and tears began to fill his eyes.

Most in the room said nothing. But Susie took a careful step to her friend, and with her being a little taller, she peered into his hands. Her eyes locked with the bright red SOUL, and she found her breath taken away.

"Is... is it-"

"It's healed. Th-they'll be alright..."

The tears continued unimpeded. Susie observed the scene before her, and then, with nothing said, stepped forward and took him in another (gentler) hug. She could feel his breathing against her chest, calm and steady. There was no panic or worry to be had, nor sadness.

A smile spread across her lips.

As he'd done just minutes before, Lancer managed to wiggle his way into another group embrace. They both made sure to leave him enough space to squeeze through. The three relished the time together, each silent in words, but distinct in emotion. They could all sense each other, relief and comfort palpable.

A couple more tears found a few more pairs of eyes. Susie needed her sleeve to wipe them away.

"Twice today. That's a record, y'know that?"

Lancer could only giggle. "Hey, me too... actually, not quite. But it's pretty close."

Ralsei smiled, eyes closed and face buried in his scarf.

But the sound of a cleared throat brought the three's attention to the bedroom door. Asriel stood quietly in the open frame, and when he approached, he wore a look of equal curiosity, amazement, and confusion. He focused entirely on Ralsei.

"... How are you doing this? Who _are_ you?"

Ralsei found his eyes were distracted, reluctant on making contact with Asriel's. He gave a gentle sigh.

"Can we go back to the hospital? It's a long story, I'll tell you on the way."


	6. Chapter 6

The story of the prophecy was one Ralsei knew by heart.

Time and time again, he'd rehearsed to himself as he read, in the castle's library. Not once did he feel his enthusiasm dwindle, nor his faith fade in its fulfillment: the prophecy played a central role in his life. He would never forget it, even after its completion.

But he had to confess, in this _one particular_ instance of reciting the prophecy, it felt... different.

To anyone unfamiliar, it probably sounded more like a fairy tale. Even to other Darkners, it might've been seen as incredulous; to _Lightners,_ such as Asriel, all he had by the end were questions. And more questions.

And he hadn't even gotten to the best part yet.

The roles of the heroes were key to the foundation of the prophecy. Ralsei made this fact abundantly clear. And so, when he, in no uncertain terms, informed Asriel that Kris was the hero of the prophecy, the restorer of balance between light and dark, that same feeling of confusion only became much, much worse.

 _Much_ worse.

"Back up. They did _what_?"

"All the Darkners came to the castle to overthrow the king, with Lancer leading the way," Ralsei said. He nudged Lancer, sitting next to him in the backseat of Asriel's car, and he responded with a big grin spreading across his lips. "It was really quite brilliant, we were on the ropes."

"Uh-huh... then what?"

"Well, um, Lancer's taken the throne now. He's the king."

"You know it! You should come stay sometime, there's lots of room in town for a clown!"

Asriel's stoic expression proved unshakable. But not without a great battle within.

"... You're serious?"

Ralsei nodded. "Completely." He looked to Susie, and she, with her attention directed out the window, only snorted. Nevertheless, she spoke up:

"Yeah, I can vouch for it all. Kinda wild, isn't it?"

Asriel gulped. "Uh, yeah. But I _guess_ it explains things?" His eyes shifted from the rearview mirror back to the road. "Still, though... you're telling me Kris saved the _world?"_

"Not by themself," Ralsei said, "but without their SOUL, the king would've defeated us, and the prophecy would've been lost. They're a hero."

Asriel pondered this for a moment. He found himself floored by Ralsei's tale, with so much information to take in. A journey through a different world, a fight against a hostile king? Stuff straight out of a movie. Part of him wanted to deny it, that the prophecy was all a hoax, and most importantly, that Kris was never put in harm's way.

But the SOUL in Ralsei's hands told him everything. He reached his hand to his face and scratched his cheek.

"Ralsei, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Wait until tomorrow to tell all this to my parents. I think my mom's worried enough already."

He'd been half-joking with the request, but Ralsei firmly nodded. "I understand. It's been a very stressful night."

Asriel said nothing. The hospital was just down the road, and he silently hoped there weren't any more stories. Everything was coming too much, too fast. Though, he had to confess: Kris' safety came first and foremost, but it _was_ pretty cool his little sibling had saved the world. He'd ask them about it later, a nice, casual conversation.

With a slight turn, Asriel pulled the car to a nearby curb, parked, and turned off the engine. Everyone filed out from their seats and into the night air, himself lagging behind. While Kris' friends came together and went into the hospital lobby, he checked down the street. His parents had taken their separate cars, and he could see both the blue truck and red minivan, just a little ways down the road.

Asriel closed the car door, and jogged to the hospital's entrance to rejoin the others. Everyone had assembled in the lobby. His eyes found Ralsei's hands, slightly outstretched, and the red glow gave him reassurance.

He approached. Keeping his voice a little lower, he said "Are we all ready?"

Nods and quiet affirmations. Asriel stepped aside, and allowed Ralsei to take the lead. The SOUL in hand, he stepped into the hallway.

Again, he counted the doors in his head. Kris' room came fast. But unlike before, where hesitation and uncertainty ruled his actions, he reached up to the doorknob and opened without pause. He walked to Kris' bedside, to allow space for everyone else.

After a quiet few moments, the whole of the group had gathered. The door had closed. Ralsei saw no sense in wasting time.

With the closure of his eyes, he brought his hands forward, and gently put Kris' SOUL over their heart. He placed it flat. The SOUL lingered, steady in its hue and vibrancy. All in the room was still.

And then, without a sound, it sank into Kris' body and disappeared.

The heart rate monitor sped up.

* * *

When Kris came to, all they saw was light. A blinding white light, dangling far beyond their reach. They tried to lift their hand to it.

Nothing.

They tried their left. Same result.

Kris felt little from it. They weren't sure _what_ to feel. Everything was too bright... it made it hard to think straight. Their mind was jumbled, a jigsaw puzzle to solve, and the pieces weren't coming together. Not the way they expected. And that was okay. Better than feeling nothing at all.

They waited. In time, the light started to fade, just a little. It hurt less now. _M_ _aybe_ they could stand to open their eyes a little. Not much, just a peek.

And when they did, they discovered a ring of silhouettes surrounding them. They didn't know where they were. But each of these people, they seemed distinct. Did they know them? They wanted to think harder about it. They wanted the _energy_ to think harder about it.

With whatever they could muster, they searched for their strength. They set to work on the puzzle. And piece by piece, their mind seemed to come together, and their body, their senses-

With a sharp gasp, their eyes shot open wide.

From where they laid, Kris found they were staring at a bright fluorescent light, humming away on the plaster white ceiling above. Ditto for the walls, and the cabinets and counter and chairs. The room was so _bright._

But they didn't have much time to care. They could see now. They blinked.

The refreshment of their eyes brought all the clarity they needed. From left to right, they looked. All their friends and family had assembled, surrounding them. The heart rate monitor continued its rhythm, filling their ears with its tone.

They wanted to try and say something. But to their annoyance, they found their mouth obstructed by an oxygen mask. Carefully they moved their hands to remove the straps, but worked slowly: they hadn't fully regained feeling yet. Their fingers fumbled.

But another pair of hands helped them finish the task. Kris slipped the mask free, and turned.

It was Ralsei.

In their moment of indecision, Kris could only stare at him, his wide, hopeful eyes and gentle smile. Were they still in the Dark World? Was all this a dream?

They took their first unaided breath. It felt cool, filling. They had so many questions to ask. But first.

"... Ralsei?"

That was all they could manage. Their voice was faint, rusty from untold time of non-usage. They needed no more.

Pure emotion abound, and tears brimming his eyes, Ralsei enveloped Kris in a tight hug. He found great temptation to squeeze as tightly as he could manage, as if Kris would disappear should he fail: he held himself back, but it didn't stop him from burying his face in their shoulder. Tear stains soaked their shirt.

Kris found themself statuesque, motionless in his embrace. But before long, they quietly shifted their own arms around Ralsei's shoulders. They returned his hug in full, with all the strength they had. It wasn't nearly as much, but they didn't mind.

Ralsei's presence was more than enough. For these first few minutes awake, that was all they needed.

"Kris..."

Ralsei's voice was muffled, buried in his scarf, and Kris' shoulder. He lifted his head, and relished the chance to look at them. Even with their hair serving as a curtain, he stared deep in their eyes.

His smile only grew.

"We missed you."

With that, everything went in motion.

An aggressive hand came to Kris' head, and ruffled their hair with vigor. Beneath the grip, they looked to the source: they discovered it belonged to Susie, and she wore a smile unlike any they'd seen before. Pure relief was plain to see. Ditto for Lancer, who'd hopped on the side of their bed.

"Hey, Kris."

"Yeah, hey there! How're you feeling?"

Kris brought their hand to their throat. They attempted to swallow, and found the task quite difficult. "Tired..."

Kris leaned back to rest their head against their pillow; the room's bed was elevated slightly, keeping them at an angle. Ralsei put his hand to their shoulder, and gave a gentle, concerned squeeze.

Then, a shuffling of footsteps to the side of their bed. Asriel had been standing a bit further back, but when Kris saw their brother come closer, their eyes lit up, mouth hanging open a little. Asriel smiled.

"Hi, Kris."

Like Ralsei moments before, Asriel leaned forward to wrap his sibling in his arms. Kris returned the gesture. He could hear their breathing against his chest, calm and steady. He felt their heartbeat.

He cherished every moment.

Time passed. When Kris finally shied away from the embrace, they returned to lying down; Asriel decided to step back, and from the corner of his eye he glanced at his parents. Both wore expressions that brought another smile to his face, joy and relief he hadn't seen in a long time.

The room fell quiet again. With a chance to take stock, Kris found themself with a dry, parched throat: on the counter, they noticed a water pitcher and plastic cups. They pointed, and many eyes turned.

With haste, Ralsei went to the counter and poured Kris a cup. He handed it to them with care, and they took it in both hands. Kris downed it all in one gulp.

When they finished, they needed a moment to breathe, and in that time their hand found their heart. They felt it fall in tune with the monitor, consistent and natural. They swallowed again, and found the task much easier than before.

They felt they could give their voice another shot.

"... Where are we?"

In truth, though they didn't know _why,_ Kris already had a clue. But they weren't sure how else to start talking, and conversation was going to be difficult for them. They sank into their pillow, just a little more.

"We're in the hospital, sweetheart." It was their mother who spoke. She came to their bedside, and took their hand in her own. "You were admitted this morning."

"Oh... why?"

Ms. Toriel closed her eyes.

"We don't know what happened, not yet. But your recovery is what's important now, child."

Her delivery was a bit uncertain, inflection to match. Kris could sense she was skirting around the topic. Their eyes scanned the room, and they looked to Asriel: their brother gave another small smile, albeit with slightly pursed lips.

Then they turned to Ralsei. His eyes were glued to the floor, and he fiddled with the end of his scarf. But when Kris focused their attention squarely upon him, he looked up, and a faint blush settled in. But he smiled at them all the same.

"How did you guys get here?"

Ralsei knew they were referring to himself, and Lancer. But with the presence of Kris' parents in the room, and remembering his promise to Asriel, he needed to change the wording: "We both, um, came with Susie. When we heard you were hospitalized-"

"We needed to be here for ya, and here we are! We're a team, that's what teammates do, right?"

Though he'd been interrupted by Lancer, Ralsei nodded in full agreement. Kris shifted their gaze, from one to the next.

And for the first time since they'd opened their eyes, a tiny bit of a smile emerged on their lips.

Susie grinned. She gave Kris a (very gentle) bump on the shoulder, and Lancer's signature tongue-out smile told the tale on his end. Ralsei again put his hand on Kris' shoulder, and dipped his head to obscure his face behind his hat. He hoped Kris didn't notice his eyes watering up.

The sight before them brought warm smiles to all Kris' family. Asriel leaned over to his mother. "Kris has really good friends..."

"They're so fortunate to have these people in their life. Truly."

Asriel nodded. He considered speaking up, but found his thoughts rattled by the turning of the doorknob. The door swung open.

Two nurses, armed with clipboards, entered the hospital room. Their expressions revealed a fair level of exhaustion, but more pertinent were wide eyes and raised eyebrows; approaching the side of the bed, one nurse investigated the heart rate monitor and made notes, while the other checked the IV. Asgore observed with scrutiny.

"What's going on here?"

The nurse finished scribbling a final few numbers on their clipboard. They walked over to Asgore. "Mr. Asgore and Ms. Toriel?" The latter nodded, while the former's gaze became rather cross. The nurse sensed his impatience, and quickly checked their notes again.

"Um... I must confess, this is unlike _anything_ I've seen before, but Kris' vitals-just a few minutes ago, they all jumped. Everything looks healthy."

Ms. Toriel breathed a deep sigh of relief, and Asgore's countenance shifted to one of solace.

"Of course, we'll continue to monitor as the night progresses," the nurse continued, "but this recovery is, well, astounding. Miraculous, even."

"Will Kris be able to come home tonight?" Ms. Toriel asked. To her displeasure, the nurse shook their head.

"No, I'm afraid not. We're still awaiting the results of earlier tests, so we'll have to ask they stay overnight."

She sighed, but gave a lone nod of understanding. "Very well. Can we come back in the morning?"

"Of course. We'll be available if you have more questions."

With that, the two nurses departed the room, and closed the door behind them. Privacy again restored, Ms. Toriel approached the side of Kris' bed. She offered her hand to her child, and after a moment's hesitation, they took it. "Kris, when would you like us to return?"

"Any time..."

She responded with a warm, loving smile, and an engrossing hug.

"We'll see you tomorrow, then. We love you..."

Her voice came only as a whisper. Asgore put his hand to Kris' shoulder. "We'll be back tomorrow, Kris. Rest easy, okay?"

"Yeah, see you then," Asriel chimed in. He gave his sibling a thumbs-up, and another big smile. Then he turned to their friends, Ralsei in particular, and nodded. "Thank you..."

At last, Ms. Toriel ended the embrace. Her hands contently folded, she walked to the door of the room. Asriel followed, and Asgore trailed behind a bit. But just before she stepped into the hallway, she gave one last look to her child.

"Good night, Kris."

Their eyes were closed, head resting against the pillow.

Kris' family quietly shuffled out the room. With that, the only remaining occupants comprised of the team. Susie sat on the edge of Kris' bed, and from behind her curtain of hair, she stared at their own expression. She had to admit, they looked _exhausted._

But to her surprise, Kris pulled themself up a bit, and sat up straight. They lifted their knees, and wrapped their arms around for support. They started to shiver.

"Kris?"

Kris said nothing to Susie. But the faint chatter of teeth filled the air, and their trembles only seemed to intensify. Susie and Ralsei swapped a nervous exchange, but both were brought to attention by Lancer opening his bag. He came up with a neatly folded blanket, and after unfurling, he put it over Kris' shoulders.

Kris established eye contact with Lancer. Their shaking ebbed away as the moments passed, and they pressed their lips together. "Thank you..."

Susie chuckled. "You brought everything in that bag, didn't you?"

"Not _everything!_ It wouldn't all fit. Only the stuff I thought was important."

She turned her attention back to Kris. From her estimation, they seemed a fair bit more comfortable now, and she felt a wave of relief at such. "You okay, dude?"

"A little better now," Kris said quietly. They huddled closer, within their cocoon of blankets.

A comfortable silence engulfed the four. In the dead space, Susie and Lancer were content to shift their eyes, looking from each other to Kris and other spots around the room; Ralsei kept his focus on his friend. He moved his hand to their back, and gave a gentle rub, and they turned their head.

"Thank you, guys..."

Their voice still proved meek, difficult to hear even in earshot. But Susie sensed a sort of hesitation, even nervousness from them. She knelt to come eye level with Kris, and put her hand on their shoulder.

"Kris... it's like Lancer said. We're a team. We'll be here for you."

Lancer nodded enthusiastically, and Ralsei warmly smiled. Kris' eyes shifted to look at the three, from left to right, then they brought their gaze to their lap. When they tried to speak, they felt their throat choke on their own emotions. A forced gasp was all that escaped.

The three watched with careful eyes. Ralsei considered speaking up, but anything he had to say died on arrival, as he watched Kris bring their fingertips to their chest, over their heart. They pressed gently.

Kris lifted their head. Their eyes were pleading, desperate.

"What _happened_ to me?"

None had been prepared for this. The words fumbled on the tip of Susie's tongue, jumbled and disoriented. Kris didn't bother to wait.

"It's... it's _different._ My _SOUL_ is different, something's changed..."

Kris refocused on their friends. Each bore distinct surprise, plain for them to see, but Ralsei spoke first:

"Kris, do you remember anything of the past few days?"

After a brief moment's consideration, they found their most recent memory was of coming home, the day of the adventure. They shook their head. Ralsei felt his lips curl in a frown, his expression downcast.

He shifted himself a little closer to Kris, and, after a pause, worked up his courage.

"Kris, you're in the hospital because of an accident. Your SOUL was separated from your body."

At first process, they found themself speechless. They could only work a response with concentration, and even then, their voice nearly failed on them: "Separated? How?"

"We don't know," Susie said. Her voice carried a thinly veiled exasperation, and she ran a hand through her hair. "Guess it's still a mystery, huh...?"

Kris' face fell. Again they scavenged their memories, looking for something, anything to connect to the few days prior. Nothing came to fruition. They just _couldn't remember._

"Where did you find it?"

Their inquiry came after a spell of hesitation. Ralsei wanted to answer this carefully, but it was Lancer that beat him to the punch: "It was in that cage thing, in your room. Something was wrong with it, but Ralsei used his magic to fix it."

Susie gave Lancer a rather hard glare. His wording could've been more tact, and Kris' averse reaction proved as much. They looked to Ralsei for more clarity, worry lining their expression.

"What's... what's wrong with my SOUL?"

Ralsei shifted his scarf a touch, his fingers twiddling with the ends of the fabric. He kept himself obscured by his clothes, a camouflage against his own outpouring of emotions.

"Kris, when we found your SOUL, it wasn't in very good shape. It was in distress, causing pain to anyone near it. I had to use my magic to heal a wound, there was some sort of _darkness_ there."

As soon as he finished, Ralsei knew he'd messed up. Kris' face was approaching despondency.

"A... a darkness? Is my SOUL _evil?"_

"N-no! No, of course not," Ralsei stuttered. "It's not evil. But there was something that-that shouldn't have been there. That's why you feel different, because it's gone now."

The frustration was plain for them all to see. Kris found themself tightly clutching the blanket, eyes closed and head angled away. But they felt something brush against their right hand, before taking hold entirely: they opened their eyes, and found Ralsei had taken it in his own. They couldn't hope to guess what he was thinking, but his eyes were quite expressive.

"Kris... you have the most beautiful SOUL I'll _ever_ know. Please understand this."

"But-"

"Whatever it was I healed, it isn't you." Ralsei didn't care he interrupted them, he knew they needed to hear him. "Your SOUL isn't evil, _you_ aren't evil. You're the warrior of the prophecy, the human that saved the Dark World! Your SOUL is _so_ powerful, so filled with love and care..."

His voice tapered away. He squeezed their hand just a bit more.

"I think your SOUL is perfect, Kris. Everything about _you_ is perfect..."

Ralsei released Kris' hand. A million silent curses entered his head. They probably thought he was a bumbling idiot, or even _worse._ He dreaded to look up, and it only came with great exertion on his part.

All he saw was a faint red glow.

In Kris' cupped hands, they held their SOUL gently. No matter how many times he'd seen it, the sight never failed to amaze Ralsei; but in this moment, a wave of panic and uncertainty swept through him. "K-Kris! What are you doing?"

They said nothing. They turned the SOUL over in their hands, staring at the other side with forlorn eyes. Then, to Ralsei's immense relief, they brought their hands back to their chest, and the SOUL disappeared within them.

"Can I ask you all something?"

Every eye in the room focused their attention on Kris. Lancer pulled himself closer, and Susie gave a nod. "We're all ears."

Kris needed to give themself a moment. They swallowed a lump in their throat.

"... When we were on our adventure, did you guys ever feel different?"

Ralsei cocked his head, brows furrowed. "Different? How so?"

"Different, like... like you weren't _you,_ " Kris said. "That you could _lose_ yourself, and not do anything about it. That you didn't have control." Their shivers returned as they spoke. "It happened to me a few times. I can't explain it, but in battles, sometimes I just-I wanted to _kill_ them. When we reached the king, I had to hold myself back! It didn't even feel like _me_ giving orders, it was... it was just..."

Kris found nothing more they could say. Their eyes buried in their lap, they found themself terrified to see the reactions they'd caused. They expected fear, confusion, _resentment_ even.

But when they finally mustered the courage, all they discovered were sympathetic eyes.

"But you didn't, did you?"

Kris looked confused. Not waiting for them to verbalize such, Ralsei continued:

"Kris... I'm not sure you understand how powerful your SOUL is. You have the power within you to _shape the entire world._ You could've chosen to destroy, and nothing would have been able to stand in your way. Not me, not the king, not anyone else.

"But you _didn't._ You only showed compassion. You only gave mercy, and love and kindness. _That's_ who you are. You're not some monster, you're the hero of legend..."

The confidence in Ralsei's voice was palpable. Kris' eyes had widened the more he spoke, the more they processed his words. They turned to Susie, and she responded with a smile.

"You're a good kid, Kris. I'm glad to have you as a friend."

"Yeah, you're really cool!" Lancer said. "Still a clown, but a real neat one."

Kris couldn't help the smile spreading across their face.

"Thank you..."

More smiles. More feelings of relief. And, for the icing on the cake, Ralsei reached over and brought Kris into his arms. He felt his face turn a bright shade of red, but he didn't care. He wasn't sure he ever wanted to let go.

And, when Susie and Lancer joined in, no one had any objections. Stillness came upon them, a quiet few moments in each other's company. But at last, when the long embrace came to its conclusion, a small yawn escaped Kris.

"Sleepy?" Susie asked.

"Getting there..." Their reply was punctured by another yawn, and they lay their head against their pillow. She turned to Lancer and Ralsei.

"I doubt we can get into the school tonight, so we can't go back to Dark World. Looks like you guys are stuck with me."

Lancer's eyes brightened. "A sleepover?!"

"Uh... y'know what, yeah. A sleepover."

"ALRIGHT! Let's tell scary stories, and stay up all night watching movies! I even have snacks and everything!" With a whoop and holler, Lancer hopped off the bed and held his bag high above his head, like he'd found treasure.

With her smile unmoving, Susie turned to Kris. She again put her hand on their shoulder, and they in turn shifted their eyes to her. "When you're outta here tomorrow, we'll do something cool. Got any ideas?"

Kris shrugged. "Well... I don't know, the movies sound nice. There's plenty of room for all of us at my house."

"Sounds like a plan." She lifted her hand from their shoulder, and turned to Ralsei. "You ready to go?"

Rather than a yes-no response, Ralsei's eyes widened a bit. He again buried his face in his scarf, and his hands became fidgety behind his back. He found himself tongue-tied.

"Um, well, I... Kris?"

Kris shifted their gaze.

"If... if you don't mind, do you think I could stay with you?"

Ralsei's voice could barely escape his throat, little more than a mumble. But to his great surprise, Kris gave a nod.

"If you want to..."

Kris' voice was similar to his own, quiet. They closed their eyes, sinking into Lancer's blanket a little more. All in the room could see Kris was on the verge of sleep, and so Susie turned to Ralsei. "Are you sure about this? I'm not sure the hospital has overnight visits."

"I'll ask the front desk, I'm sure they'll accommodate. It'll be okay, Susie."

She nodded. With matters settled, she and Lancer took their leave. But at the door, she turned around:

"We'll be back tomorrow morning. G'night, guys."

Ralsei bid them good night, and Kris mumbled the same. The two exited the room. Peering over his scarf, Ralsei looked Kris over: though they'd spoken just seconds ago, he wasn't sure they weren't asleep _already._

Cognizant of the task at hand, Ralsei approached the door. But as he did so, Kris' still form stirred, and their eyes opened to see him.

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I'll have to find out." But as he spoke, he felt a shred of doubt in his gut, and second thoughts filled his head. "Kris, if you don't want me to stay, I'll just go back with Susie-"

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you're here..."

Ralsei's felt a spring of comfort within him, all his fear and concern swept away. He half-buried his face in his scarf.

"I'll be nearby, in case you need anything. Okay?"

"Thanks, Ralsei..."

With that, Kris turned to their side. Ralsei put his hand to the light switch. But just before he darkened the room, to allow Kris a (hopefully) peaceful sleep, he whispered:

"Good night, Kris."

All he got in return was the soft sound of their breathing. That was all he needed. With a smile, he turned the lights out, and stepped into the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

As luck would have it, Ralsei's decision to stay overnight yielded more than even _he_ could have hoped for.

An inquiry with the front desk later, he learned of the hospital's overnight policy—one visitor per patient. A single sleeper couch had been wheeled in, pillow and blanket provided, and placed at the leftmost wall of the room. He was even given a badge with his name, which he pinned to his sweater with pride.

All this was done as quietly as possible. He didn't want to disturb Kris' rest, and he succeeded on that end.

And so, with everything finished at last, and the time approaching midnight, Ralsei settled down for his own sleep. But he found it came sporadically, and only in short spurts: with every awakening, he would check the digital clock above the door, and found himself disappointed. Twenty minutes, thirty minutes, an hour at the most.

Then, 2:30 AM. He was stirred, not by his own restlessness, but from an audible mumble from Kris. A rustle of sheets followed.

From the couch, Ralsei sat up straight, and he turned his eyes to Kris. They clutched their blanket tightly, and from what little light streamed through the cracks in the blinds, he could see they were drenched in sweat.

"Kris?"

His voice registered only as a whisper. But Kris responded with a shift to their other side. More mumbles.

Then a gasp.

Their breathing became labored, seething through their clenched teeth. Ralsei's eyes widened.

"Kris?!" He stood, and with no time to waste, went to their side and shook them. "Kris, wake up!"

They turned back over, _away_ from Ralsei. Their right hand shifted to their chest, knuckles white and their grip rock-solid. They planted their fingers over their heart, crooked, clawing at their shirt and skin—

And then their eyes blinked open.

The first sight they came upon was Ralsei, towering over them with deep, concerned eyes. He was holding Kris' hand, tight enough to where it hurt, and their first instinct was to grimace. He quickly released his grip.

Their second thought was to realize their rapidly beating heart, and throbbing headache. They sat motionless, their eyes fixated downward. Beads of sweat ran down the back of their neck, and remained clustered at their forehead.

"... Are you okay?"

Ralsei already had a pretty good guess how they'd respond. Kris ran their hand through their hair, eyes closed, and continued their shallow breathing.

"Y-yeah... just give me a second."

Ralsei sat himself on the edge of Kris' bed. He folded his hands in his lap, and turned his head to them. Kris swallowed a lump in their throat, and shifted their own attention over. The two made eye contact for a quiet moment, before they finally spoke:

"What was I just doing?"

Ralsei's jaw fell slack. He ran the scene over in his memory again, and found temptation to shiver. "It looked like you were grabbing at your chest. You were mumbling something, too..."

Kris nodded. "I was having a nightmare."

Concern flooded Ralsei's emotions. Without a second thought, he brought his hand to their shoulder, and gave a sympathetic squeeze. He felt all the tension from them dissipate, like a calming wave sent through them at the contact.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

They shrugged. Their eyes averted Ralsei's gaze, finding the floor in its stead. "I don't know." Again to his surprise, Kris actually let forth a slight chuckle. "I don't think I _remember_ much of it."

"Oh... I see."

Kris groaned. They fell back into the mattress, arms spread wide. "Guess I don't remember _anything,_ huh? First the accident, now this."

Ralsei nodded, but it came with hesitation. "No, maybe not. But nightmares are no fun, it's probably better this way."

Kris turned their head to the side, and their stare fixated to the doorframe. They could see light from the hallway, streaming through the gap at the bottom.

"I don't think I want to go back to sleep."

Kris wasn't entirely sure who they were speaking to more, Ralsei or themself. But their remark held the attention of their companion. "For the rest of the night?"

Kris shrugged again. "No idea. But I doubt I could now."

"I understand, Kris." Ralsei's tone was authentic, fused with his care and worry for Kris. Part of him wanted to stay up with them, to keep them company, but in that moment he found himself cursed by a yawn. He failed to keep it concealed, and Kris sheepishly grinned.

"Ralsei, you can go back to bed, if you want," they said. It was then that they gave a first thought to Ralsei's arrangements. "Say... uh, when did you get _in_ here, exactly?

Ralsei pointed to the sofa, at the opposite end of the room. It was Kris' first time seeing it, and with prying curiosity affixed to their expression, they looked to Ralsei. He suddenly felt himself fraught.

"I asked the desk where I could stay, and they moved that in... are you okay with it? Me being here?" His worry grew the more he progressed in his question, his voice laced with insecurity. But such feelings disappeared with a simple nod from Kris. They even smiled a little.

"Of course. If you want to be here, I'm happy to have you."

Their cessation of speech brought a pocket of stillness in the room. Ralsei noted an even timing and flow from rain outside the windows, a sort of drum-like precision: a calming downpour had just begun. Kris took a few moments to appreciate the sound.

"Hey, Ralsei?"

"Yes?"

They rubbed their hand against the back of their head. "This might sound a little random, but... thanks."

He tilted his head to the side. "For what?"

They shrugged again. "I don't know... _e_ _verything_ _,_ I guess. Saving my SOUL's a big one." A slight giggle from Ralsei. "But more than that, just—you're a really good friend, Ralsei. You didn't have to come all this way."

"Kris, when I heard what happened, I wasn't going to miss it." His eyes filled with resolution, and established contact with Kris'. "I _wanted_ to be here for you, we all did."

"Yeah, but—" They interrupted themself, with a half-hearted sigh. Slightly pursed lips and saddened eyes flashed across their expression. "I don't know, is it _worth_ it? I don't want to stir up trouble for you guys."

Ralsei felt his heart ache. But, unlike his emotions before, a blend of determination swirled within him: he wasn't powerless to help. He brought himself a little closer to Kris, and came face-to-face. They stared back, with slight inquisitiveness.

"Kris, we all care about you. Your well-being is important, it's not a waste of anyone's time."

Ralsei paused. In his mind, he began to make a connection, to a memory from mere hours ago. He couldn't sit on the thought for long.

"... When I healed your SOUL, I saw a few things."

Kris scrunched their brows. Recalling their conversation from earlier, with the injury their SOUL suffered, they felt fearful to ask. But, seemingly against their will, the words blurted free: "Like what?"

"I guess... well, things I weren't expecting." Ralsei adjusted his scarf. "Kris, you're so thoughtful and kindhearted. You have a beautiful SOUL."

Kris found themself faintly blushing at his description.

"But this part I healed," Ralsei continued, "it was filled with hate, and anger. I don't think it was supposed to be there. It was so unlike everything else, it felt unnatural."

Kris couldn't find the words to say. A moment's pause between them passed, and the only background came from the storm outside.

"... Do you ever feel lonely, Kris?"

Kris felt their heart drop. They found their voice halved, only a distant murmur in their own ears. "Why?"

"When I looked in your SOUL, loneliness stuck out to me..." Ralsei felt apprehension the further he went, he wasn't sure he wanted to finish his point. But he had their close attention, and there was no squirming out of it. "I'm sorry, if it's not my business—"

"No, it's okay..." Their voice remained low. Ralsei felt a stab of regret, and inwardly scorned himself for his stupidity. He wanted to apologize, but before he could muster such, Kris motioned to continue:

"Asriel's always been my best friend. But he's gone to college now, so it's just me left." Another pause. "But even when he was here, I... I wasn't very good at making other friends. Even Susie hated me, before we fell."

The mere _idea_ of this was foreign to Ralsei. His mind flashed to the scenes of the prior day, of all the concern and worry Susie had shown toward her friend. He couldn't picture otherwise, he didn't _want_ to picture otherwise.

"But Susie's your friend now, isn't she? Lancer, too. And Asriel's back to see you."

A nod, and a subtle, tiny grin threatened Kris' lips. Ralsei felt immediate comfort at the scene, thankful he was able to deflect the topic.

"And the one talking to me at 3 AM. Can't forget him."

Ralsei couldn't contain a snort of laughte. Kris followed suit, with tempered enthusiasm, and a half-smile poking through their features. When the time passed, and their amusement with it, they sat together in silence, and the dark.

A minute went by.

The stillness was broken by a sharp breath, and a sniffle. Ralsei turned. Kris had their shirt up to their eye, their face angled away from him.

"S-sorry..."

They tried to take a deep breath, to calm themself. It emerged jagged, punctured by their own unstable emotions. They closed their eyes, and yet more tears stained their face.

Ralsei brought himself to Kris' side, and put his hand on their back. He wanted to speak, to say _anything_ to try and comfort them, but the words eluded his tongue. But he discovered they weren't needed.

Kris lunged forward, and took Ralsei in their embrace. Their head found his shoulder, and he felt teardrops dampen his sweater. It was eerily similar to just hours before, their situations reversed.

He didn't much mind.

Ralsei wrapped his arms around Kris. He felt them squeeze him, nearly to constriction. They were shivering again.

 _Even now, there are still demons to battle... we'll do it together, Kris. I'll be here._

At last, after what felt like an eternity, Kris' grip on Ralsei loosened ever so slightly. Slowly, they lifted their head, and for balance kept their hands on his shoulders. Their eyes were approaching a shade of red, and he could see the messy remains of tear streaks scattered about.

"I-I'm sorry, Ralsei..."

They tried another deep breath. There were no obstacles this time, and they relished the lack of obstruction. Again using their shirt, they wiped around their eyes, and blinked.

"Kris."

They turned. Ralsei wore an expression they couldn't identify. Confusion? Sympathy? _Disgust,_ even? His eyes were still, and gazing into their own. His body language told them nothing.

Then, he brought himself a little closer. Hesitation forgotten, he enveloped them in his _own_ arms. He heard a very quiet, but poignant gasp escape them. He felt their form become still against his own, and he rested his head on theirs.

"Kris... you don't have to be alone anymore. You have family and friends that care about you. We'll always be here for you.

... _I'll_ always be here for you."

The words left his tongue, and drifted into the open.

Then he felt Kris shift in his arms. They separated themself from his embrace, and he found them staring right at him.

"Promise?"

Their voice was clear, succinct for him to hear, and wholly genuine. Kris' expression sat mired in anticipation, their eyes slightly wide, and boring into his own. Hope flickered from within them.

In that moment, he found his voice again.

"Yes, Kris. I promise."

There were no tears this time. Not in Kris' eyes. But when Ralsei saw them smile again, every sort of relief, and comfort, and _happiness_ plain for him to see, he had to fight them back himself.

The sound of rain outside was all they needed.

But after a few moments longer, Kris let forth a gentle sigh. They reclined into the mattress, and pointed their eyes to the ceiling. With a slight head tilt, Ralsei watched them, from the corner of his eye.

"Are you feeling better?"

To his great comfort, they nodded. "Yes... I'm sorry, Ralsei." Another apology, and another breath. "I need to get a grip."

From behind his scarf, Ralsei peered at his companion. "Kris, sometimes we need to express our feelings. I just want to help, okay?"

A half-smile trickled across Kris' lips. With a firm nod of affirmation, they repositioned themself on their back, arm loosely dangling over the side of the bed. Their next utterance emerged a bit quiet, but still distinct:

"I think crying makes you tired."

Ralsei mustered a grin.

"Maybe. It takes a lot of energy, sometimes."

"Do you cry a lot?"

The question was blunt, but Kris' voice was laced only with curiosity. Ralsei fumbled.

"Um... a bit."

His face flushed. He found himself nervous, his body language reflecting with tense fidgets and agitation, but he peeked from beyond the brim of his hat to his companion regardless.

Fixed to their expression, now focused upon him, was only a warm smile. It was the same he had seen in the Dark World, so many times over. It made his heart flutter in his chest.

"I think it'll get better. For us both, you know?"

With nothing more said, Kris turned on their side. Their posture was relaxed, breathing slow and easy. Ralsei could see they were close to returning to sleep, and he returned to the sofa. He laid his head against the pillow.

But as he closed his eyes, he heard a faint whisper:

"Good night, Ralsei..."

He smiled.

* * *

When Ralsei opened his eyes again, the whole world seemed to have flipped on its head.

The window blinds had been opened, and morning sunlight poured through the glass. In lieu of the fluorescent lights, everything seemed to have a golden glow: it was bright to look at, and he needed to squint before his eyes adjusted.

But even in his half-blinded state, he could see the room had emptied. Kris was gone.

Panic welled in his gut. Jitters abound, his eyes darted around the room for a double-take. Nothing. He came to his feet quickly, and with long, hurried strides went to the door. He yanked the doorknob with force, and burst into the hall.

It was then he almost bumped into someone, and it took some quick reflexes to avoid the collision. His eyes locked with the other, and he went to hastily apologize.

Then he studied them more closely. It was Kris, dressed in a fresh white t-shirt, and black sweatpants. They were carrying two paper plates, and miraculously, neither had tipped over.

Ralsei gasped a sigh of relief.

"Kris! Oh thank goodness, I thought—um, well... where'd you go?"

He wasn't exactly eager to finish his initial statement, and only deflected at the last second. But Kris replied with a kind smile, and by craning their neck, they gestured to the hallway doors behind them.

"I was getting breakfast, at the cafeteria. I didn't want to wake you up, so I got enough for us both. Here!"

They held one of the plates out in front of them, and Ralsei briefly looked it over. A short silver dollar pancakes stack, with scrambled eggs and spinach on the side, and plastic utensils to finish it off. His mind strayed to the last meal he'd had, and though it had been many hours ago, he found he wasn't especially hungry.

"Thank you, Kris," he said, rather hushed. He took the plate in both his hands, and with Kris' now free, they stepped to their room door and opened. When they walked through the frame, they held it for Ralsei, and he too came inside.

The door closed behind them on its own. Kris hopped on the edge of their bed, while Ralsei sat in his chair, and fork in hand, he absentmindedly poked his food. Kris watched him for a moment, their lips a thin line.

"Uh, I wasn't quite sure what to get you, so I picked the basics. Is it okay?"

"Huh? Oh... it's fine, Kris." He dug the fork into the eggs, and took a bite. It was a bit cold, but he had little room to complain otherwise. Kris started on their own meal, attention fixated to their plate. Ralsei set his aside.

"Did you have another nightmare?"

For Kris, the question came during a mouthful of pancakes. They hurried to gulp it down, and brought a napkin to their mouth. "Um, I don't _think_ so... I don't really remember again."

Ralsei could only nod, and he said no more than that. He watched Kris resume their breakfast, but his eyes glazed with sadness: he could still picture the prior night, Kris' writhing convulsions in their nightmare. Had he not woken up to stop them...

 _I'll have to return to the castle library soon, to research more about SOUL removal. There might be—_

His thoughts were interrupted by a rapt knock at the door. Kris put their plate, now almost finished, down at their side. "Come in!"

The knob turned. The door swung open halfway, and a small white and blue blob came rushing through to tackle Kris. With an audible oomph, they fell back into the mattress.

"Clown! You're still alive!"

Lancer had Kris in a stringent hug. The display of affection surprised them greatly: true, they were friendly to him at every chance in the Dark World, but relative to Susie and Ralsei, they didn't know him _nearly_ as well. His display of care and affection warmed their heart.

They returned the hug wholeheartedly.

"Hi, Lancer."

For a short spell, all of Ralsei's troubles were forgotten. He watched the scene before him with wide eyes, tightly clutching his scarf. The fabric covered his ear-to-ear beam.

The door opened a little more.

Wordlessly, Susie stepped into the room. Her eyes affixed to Kris and Lancer, she had a thin smile adorning her expression. But Ralsei could see her posture slouched, with tired eyes and slightly frazzled hair. She looked like she hadn't slept much.

Sensing her presence behind him, Lancer squirmed free of the embrace, and with his signature tongue-out grin, he waved to her. "Susie! Took you long enough!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

She had to stifle a yawn mid-sentence. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Kris had focused their attention upon her. They smiled, and to the best of her ability, she mirrored such.

During this exchange, Ralsei came to his feet, and from the corner of her eye she saw him approach. She redirected her gaze to him. "Hey. You doing okay?"

"I'm more concerned about _you._ Did something happen last night?"

"Nah, nothing big." She gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Wasn't much of a sleepover, he was out like a light in two minutes."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad he got a good night's rest, at least," Ralsei said. He feared he knew the answer already, but still he asked: "How about you? Did you sleep much?"

She shook her head.

"Nah, didn't happen. I was... thinking."

"Thinking? About what?"

She shrugged. "Nothing in particular, really. Stuff about yesterday." She snorted, hardly audible to Ralsei, and her eyes found the floor. "And friends, and hospitals, and why we're able to lose our SOULs for no reason. The usual."

Her voice was dry, no humor intended at any point. Ralsei's face fell downcast.

"I wish I knew, Susie. Something's just—it's not right. I can't put my finger on it."

She scratched the top of her head. Returning her stare to Kris and Lancer, she could see the latter in the process of telling a story. With her best efforts to push her concerns to the back of her mind, she found it difficult to resist a light smile.

But then, a knock at the open door caused everyone to turn. Asriel was standing in the frame, smile plain to see, and he offered a wave.

"Hi, guys! Good to see you all again."

Kris' eyes lit up. They put their hand to Lancer's shoulder, a gesture asking for his patience; then, they swung their legs over the side of the bed and hopped off, ran to the door, and nearly tackled their brother in a hug. It was remarkably similar to Lancer, just minutes before, and the action evoked the same reaction from Asriel. With a laugh, of course.

"Hey, watch it! You'll knock me over."

Kris responded with a tighter squeeze. Asriel's smile only widened, and he returned the embrace in full.

The scene brought great warmth to Ralsei's heart.

 _Kris really wasn't kidding... they have such a close bond with Asriel._

Before much longer, however, Kris wormed away from Asriel's grip. Their expression stayed bright as ever, and they leaned a little against the doorframe. "Are mom and dad here?"

"No, not yet. Mom's getting some things from the store, I wanted to come see you first."

Kris offered an energetic nod. "That's okay. I'm just glad you're here."

"I'm glad to _be_ here for you, Kris. I really am."

Kris turned their head to Ralsei, Susie standing by his side. Lancer wasn't far in the back, and they gestured their brother to come closer. "Asriel, have you met my friends? I know you all came here last night, so...?"

He nodded. "I have. I actually met them here, when I came to see you earlier in the day. It was kind of an awkward introduction, but I think things turned out well."

Though the memory wasn't necessarily happy, given the context, Ralsei found himself chuckling at Asriel's remark. Even Susie managed a slight smirk, though she tried her best to conceal. Satisfied with his answer, Kris walked to the foot of the bed and hopped up.

"Hey, I haven't even gotten to the best part yet!" Kris turned, and Lancer carried an aura of impatience. They smiled apologetically, and shifted themself fully to face him.

With this, Ralsei sensed an opportunity. He beckoned to Asriel, earning his attention, and came closer to exit earshot of the others.

"Is everything alright, Asriel?"

His shoulders slumped, and he brought his lips together. "I suppose... I'm just worried, is all. Not even about anything in particular, you know?"

"I think I do."

Ralsei's glance found Kris. Their face was alight with laughter, and Lancer's followed their footsteps closely; Susie, who'd joined their conversation, seemed to be snickering. Their talk continued.

The scene brought a smile to his lips. But it was one tinted with sorrow, the corners of his lips wavering. His eyes slid away, finding solace in his feet.

"It won't happen again, right?" Asriel's question was blunt, unrelenting. Ralsei pondered for a moment.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen SOUL removal before, I can't predict what could come next."

Asriel could only sigh. "Can't predict...?"

His voice tapered off. He was uncertain how to continue, or what to even make of it. It proved to be wholly unnecessary.

A new visitor appeared in the doorframe, and, like Asriel before, knocked. All in the room turned. It was Ms. Toriel, and in her hands was a re-usable grocery bag. Susie made note of her appearance: compared to yesterday, she looked quite rested. It brought a bit of relief to her.

"Hello, everyone."

A few grunts, a few nods, and a welcoming wave from both her children. A stark contrast from the energy of her students at school, but she understood completely. She stepped further into the room, and came to Kris' side with a warm, caring smile.

"How are you, Kris?"

"I'm okay... doing better, I think."

"That's marvelous to hear, child." Her voice was considerate, fastened to concern for them. She then reached into the grocery bag, hand rummaging around, and came up with a rather large chocolate bar. Kris' eyes went wide as dinner plates.

"Kris, this does _not_ change the importance of getting your fruits and veggies. Just don't eat it all at once, okay?"

Kris nodded. Ms. Toriel haded them the chocolate bar, and they tore the corner's wrapping paper away. They broke off a square, popped it in their mouth, and let themself fall in a world of good and splendor. Susie watched this, unblinking.

But in all the commotion, no one seemed to notice one last individual file through the door, quietly standing behind. It was only when Ms. Toriel looked up, and her face dropped like a stone, that the others became aware of Asgore's presence. He gave a half-smile, his left hand lightly clutching his other forearm. In his right hand were documents.

"Um... am I interrupting?"

"Is it done?

Ms. Toriel was brash, her voice carrying a cold, disconnected tone. Hurt flickered across Asgore's face, but he nodded. "Yes. I have everything here." He held up the papers.

"What are those?" Asriel asked. Asgore turned to his son, and then Kris, in sequence.

"The nurses gave me the results, of all the tests... Kris, you're as fit as a fiddle. You've been discharged."

The news brought great relief to all in the room, and smiles to match. Susie gave Kris a pat on the back, and they looked to her with appreciation. Then, their focus redirected to their mother.

"Can we go now?"

"Of course, Kris," Ms. Toriel said. "Why don't you go out the lobby? I need to speak with your father for a moment."

Kris hopped from the bed with a spring in their step, and they vacated the room in a flash. Lancer followed close behind them, and Susie and Ralsei near him; Asriel spared one last look to his parents. A sad frown spread across his features, before he stepped into the hall and out the room.

The two had privacy. Asgore felt himself tense.

"... What _exactly_ did they tell you?"

He sighed. Handing the documents to her, he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Just—keep an eye on Kris, Tori. They should be okay."

A brief scan of the pages later, she furrowed her brows. "No lingering conditions... excellent vitals... sounds like a green light."

Reluctantly, she handed the papers back to Asgore. She felt his gaze upon her, hoping to make eye contact, but she found no desire to reciprocate. "Whatever Kris' friend did, I'm not sure we can _ever_ thank him enough," she said.

A spurt of silence. From her end, the tension in the room was palpable, and she wanted to get on with this quickly.

"Has the police station gotten back to you?"

"They called this morning..." Asgore said. His voice was diminished, almost sorrowful. "They're still reviewing, but they don't suspect a crime. If they don't find more evidence, they'll have to close the investigation."

She nodded. "If anything develops, let me know. Goodbye, Asgore."

Her voice was entirely dry, emotionless. She brushed past his still form, out the door, and into the hallway. For a moment he remained motionless, eyes transfixed to the wall, but then he refocused his attention to the papers in his hand.

He rubbed his hand across his face, a deep frown affixed to his lips. He too filed through the door, and closed it behind him.

* * *

Ms. Toriel was quite dismayed to find Kris had, in fact, eaten the entire chocolate bar.

Nevertheless, there would be no scoldings (though she wouldn't have, regardless). Not today, a day where their happiness and well-being meant more to her than anything else. With a small, mouth-covered laugh, she shook her head at her child, and they responded by guiltily sliding their foot on the ground.

Nevertheless, the task of returning home was upon them. When she brought it up, Kris turned their gaze to their friends.

"Um, mom?"

She renewed her attention.

"Do you think we could all stay at our house, for a little bit? Just to spend some time together."

Her expression brightened considerably. She gave an enthusiastic nod. "Of course! I think that's a lovely idea. I'll make the most delicious snail pie."

Kris visibly grimaced. Ralsei revealed nothing, while Susie raised an eyebrow, and Lancer shared a similar reaction. The corners of both their lips were struggling against creating a lopsided grin.

Asriel, on the other hand, brought himself to Kris' side. They looked to him, and he in turn offered a generous smile.

"Kris, I think I'm going to catch up with some friends today. But I promise, we'll spend the whole evening together, alright?"

Kris nodded. Asriel reached forward to give their hair a quick ruffle, and they responded with a light snicker, and a push of their hand away. Then he turned to their friends, and gave a nod. Susie and Ralsei responded in kind, and Lancer offered a thumbs-up.

With a few short steps, Asriel went to the hospital doors, and departed the lobby. Ms. Toriel then spoke:

"Well, there's plenty of room in the minivan. Come on, everyone."

She led the way out the doors. Lancer, Ralsei, and Susie trailed behind by several steps. But as Kris turned to follow them, they caught sight of Asgore, emerging from the inner hallway. With eye contact, he mustered a miniature, but still present, smile.

Just before they left, they ran up to him, and offered a hug. He graciously accepted.

"I'll come see you soon."

He squeezed just a little tighter. "Thank you, Kris..."

A short time later, Asgore released the embrace. Kris ran off, out the lobby and to the sidewalk, and with a near skid they came to the red minivan. Everyone had piled in, but they kept the front seat open for them. They climbed in and buckled their seatbelt.

From the backseat, they could hear faint conversation amongst their friends. They chose not to interrupt, but rather, rest their head against the headrest. They propped their arm on the window sill. They relished the feeling of sunlight, streaming through the windshield.

The car began down the road.

The hospital became further and further away, soon out of sight in the rearview mirror. Up ahead, the residential area of town approached: rows of houses, and an apartment building or two, lined the roads. A few pedestrians were out and about, taking in the unusually warm fall day. Kris eyed every detail, making mental note if anything seemed unusual. Nothing they could detect.

At least, not until they approached the forest.

Trees ran along the side of the road. Kris found their attention diverted. They stared intently, eyes glued to the panorama of orange leaves and barren branches before them. There was something... off. Something they couldn't explain.

The feeling only intensified as the moments passed. The long, narrow forest path approached.

The car had no need to go down that road, not for the trip back home. But Kris knew every inch of their hometown like the back of their hand, and they could visualize the scenery in their head. That near-endless trail of trees and dirt, stretching beyond the borders of town, leading to a sight none could explain: those mysterious, locked metal doors.

They found their heart pounded in their chest. They scraped their teeth against their lower lip.

"Are you alright, Kris?"

Their activities were not lost on Ms. Toriel, who spared them a quick glimpse from the corner of her eye. With their best effort to calm their body language, they came to a slow nod.

"Yeah. I'm fine."


	8. Chapter 8

When the minivan pulled into the Dreemurr residence driveway, Kris was the first to hop out from their seat.

With a smile, they looked upon the facade of their home. Scanning over every detail they knew by heart, they became quite aware there was nothing new. It had only been a few days, hardly a blip on the radar.

And yet, it felt like a lifetime to them. Perhaps several.

In the time they spent idling, the others had exited the car. Ralsei came up to Kris, and his eyes traced their line of sight. He felt an eruption of goosebumps along the back of his neck: the memories of yesterday were still quite fresh in his mind, and returning to the house so soon, he found, put him a bit on edge.

"You okay?"

His train of thought broken, Ralsei angled his head. Kris had focused their attention upon them, and their smile had faded for a slight frown of concern.

"I'm alright, Kris. Let's go inside."

They nodded. With initiative, Kris began the trek across the lawn, and Ralsei followed. Their mother and friends had already gone inside, and the door had been left open.

With a step into the foyer, Kris entered their home. After slipping off their shoes and leaving them by the mat, they found their mother in the kitchen, prepping what she promised at the hospital—her famous snail pie. She caught sight of Kris near the door, and offered a kind wave. Though not as enthusiastic, they returned the gesture.

Then, they turned to the living room. Susie and Lancer had occupied the reading chairs, each with the footrest raised, and leaned back as far as possible. Lancer had a colossal grin upon his features, while Susie, with her eyes closed, looked asleep. Ralsei adjusted his glasses, but found nothing he needed to say.

But then, the footrest for Lancer's chair came flying down, and the chair forward. He nearly somersaulted across the floor, and came directly to Kris' front.

"Hey! Are we gonna watch the movies?"

"Huh?" Kris found themself both startled, and stumped at first thought. But then they recalled last night, and their half-awake promise for the day. "Oh, yeah. I'll turn something on."

Kris approached the television. It was an older model, with physical controls along the front. After noting the layer of dust coating the screen, they pressed the leftmost button.

Nothing. A second attempt proved futile.

"Hey, mom? What's wrong with the TV?"

"The television?"

Setting the bowl she'd been holding on the counter, Ms. Toriel emerged from the kitchen. Assessing the situation, she could only shrug. "It must've given out. It's quite old, you know."

Kris knew this much to be true. Asriel hadn't played his video games on it for quite some time, though it had once been a common activity between him and his sibling; Kris had little use for the television otherwise. With a twinge of regret, they turned to Lancer.

"Sorry, Lancer... we'll have to wait another time."

"Don't worry about it, man. No big deal."

Though not the subject, it was Susie that chose to respond. With the lowering of the footrest, she leaned forward in the chair, and she allowed her momentum to bring her to a stand. She looked upon Kris with a blank expression, but one (to their relief) void of disappointment.

"Yeah, that doesn't matter! We'll just find some other things to do."

Lancer carried an infectious enthusiasm, one that made Kris chuckle. They gave a glimpse over to the stairwell.

"Do you guys want to go to my room?"

Nods from Susie and Lancer followed suit. With a turn on their heel, Kris led the way, and they both followed them; but Ralsei remained back, eyeing their journey up the stairs, and soon out of sight. The goosebumps of earlier returned with a vengeance.

 _It'll be alright. The room is safe, there's no more danger. Their SOUL is free._

With his best efforts to stifle his nerves, and calm his breathing, Ralsei went to the foot of the stairs, and climbed them two at a time. When he reached the top, he saw the three of them were just approaching the bedroom door, and Kris reached to swing it open.

And when they entered, for the first time in over half a week, the first thing Kris noted was the wagon's absence.

Their side of the room had always been kept barren, devoid of the trophies and knick-knacks of their brother; of their relatively few possessions, none were really worth displaying. Old, dusty odds and ends, jumbled in boxes beneath their bed.

The wagon was no exception. Upon reflection, they didn't have much explanation for why they kept it.

From the corner of his eye, Ralsei, who had joined the group, could see Kris focused on the foot of their bed. He put two and two together. "Um... I wasn't able to open the cage, so I had to destroy it. I'm sorry if it had sentimental value, Kris."

"Oh, it's alright," Kris replied. "It was junk. I don't know why I left it here, I should've thrown it away ages ago."

Ralsei nodded. He brought his hands together, intertwined his fingers, and lowered his head a bit. A hush settled amongst them, for a few fleeting moments, before Kris spoke again:

"You said you couldn't _open_ it, though?"

Ralsei perked up. "Yes. It was sealed tight, I needed to use a spell to split the cage."

Kris adopted a perplexed expression, one that went against Ralsei's expectations. They climbed on their bed and sat, legs dangling over the edge. "That's strange. It was old, but I've put stuff in there before. You shouldn't have needed to _break_ it."

Ralsei scratched around his neck. He enabled himself time to reflect, though the memories brought him awash with discomfort: he could visualize the pins and needles at will, and the thought nearly made him shiver.

"Kris, your SOUL was probably why it couldn't open. It was in quite a lot of distress, lashing out at anyone nearby," At this, Kris nodded. "My best guess, it didn't want to be messed with."

"Man, are you guys _still_ talking about that crap?"

Susie burst her way into the conversation with vigor. Taking a long, winded groan, she trudged to Kris' side, plopped down on the mattress, and fell on her back.

"Susie, there's still much we don't know," Ralsei said. His voice turned meek, thrown off-guard by her staunch opposition. "I still think it's important."

"Look, I'm not saying it's _not_ , but do we have to talk about it right now?" Again her tone carried a mixture of annoyance, and exasperation. "Kris, you just got out of the damn hospital. Is this really the best thing for you to be doing?"

"Well..." Their voice tapered a bit, washed out with a shrug. "I mean, I'm feeling pretty okay. But I guess you're right."

Ralsei lowered his gaze, taking the opportunity to adjust his glasses. She had a point, and he knew it.

"Kris, I apologize. I've put this on you too much."

For a moment, he felt ripples of disappointment within himself, and his tense body language reflected such. But before long, he saw footsteps approach, and he looked up. He found Kris staring into their eyes, with a kind smile.

"Ralsei, there's nothing to say sorry for. I know it's because you care, it means a lot to me."

Ralsei felt their voice was soothing, dispersing his nervousness; the blush continued to tint his cheeks, but with a tender smile, he met them with eye contact. He felt a calming presence of sorts, and through their eyes, he could sense it within Kris, too.

With every fiber of his being, he wanted to savor the moment. He wasn't given much of a chance.

"Man, you two are _dorks!_ Holy SHIT!"

The meteor-like hands of Susie collided with their backs, lurching them both forward. The impact knocked the wind from both, with birds and stars spinning around their heads. She laughed, a maniacal cackle unheard since her collaboration with Lancer in the Dark World.

With time to recover, Ralsei stood up straight. A cross glare lined his expression, frown to boot. "What was that for?"

"I have _no_ idea. But I don't think I regret it."

His unhappiness remained plainly visible. But Kris had a slight grin creasing their lips, and it extinguished Ralsei's simmer of annoyance.

"Susie, that goes for you too. Thanks."

Her amusement brought to a dead halt, embarrassment fluttered across her countenance. Whatever she'd expected from Kris, their actual reply was found to be drastically different. She scratched the back of her head.

"You're in some kind of mood today, huh?"

Defeatedly, Kris shrugged. "You're not wrong." They brought their index finger to their chest, and tapped their heart. "I'm feeling better, see?"

"That's nice, I guess."

Her voice was dull, carrying little inflection. Her stare fixated to an imaginary interest on the floor, she avoided eye contact by any means possible. Kris cocked their head to the side, ever so slightly, and made their best effort to read her expression.

The grin attacking her lips gave her away. With a quiet chuckle, she looked at Kris and let her smile grow.

"I'm glad you're okay, Kris. We all are."

Kris could only offer a smile, similar to her own. It was an expression filled with joy, feelings they weren't sure they could even _describe._ Just days ago, the thought of someone saying this, to express such sentiment _,_ fell beyond their wildest imagination.

No longer. And their emotions radiated in the room, bringing smiles and ease in the presence of each other. The group fell in a comfortable silence.

...

Drifting through the open door, an oven timer beeped.

"KRIS! THE PIE IS READY!"

The smile evaporated, a look of ghastly horror taking its place. Ralsei took note of this reaction, using it to formulate his expectations. Susie licked her lips.

"Uh... I don't think there's a way out of this. Let's just—say, where's Lancer?"

The mention of his name brought eyes to search the room, and the hallway. Sure enough, there was no trace of their friend.

"He came up with us, didn't he?" Susie asked.

"Yes, I was behind you all. He was definitely here," Ralsei fixed his scarf, bringing it closer. "But I don't remember him—"

He was stopped by a loud crash outside, against the back wall of the house. Ralsei and Susie exchanged wide-eyed looks of panic, while Kris quietly thanked their lucky stars. The pie would have to wait after all.

* * *

When the three burst out the front door, and sprinted behind the house, they swiftly came across the source.

With the absence of a garage, Ms. Toriel went to great lengths to prevent clutter, and keep her property clean. But even so, the raising of two children made a bit of a mess in the yard at times: sports equipment, and select playthings of nostalgia proved not quite discardable, but better out of sight, out of mind. These were kept in a loose assortment, in a storage bin propped against the back wall of their home.

And, as he snooped around outside, this collection of oddities is what caught Lancer's curiosity. He had overturned the bin entirely, and set to sifting through the jumbled pile when his friends arrived.

"Oh, hey guys! What's up?"

No response came. Rather, Susie had to tread through a scattered assortment of baseball bats, hockey sticks, and plastic trucks and cars; Kris quietly lamented the mess, and set to cleaning it up.

Standing next to him, Susie towered over Lancer. Guiltily, he put his hands behind his back, and dipped his head to stare at his feet.

"Why'd you go running off?"

Hesitancy guiding him, Lancer pursed his lips. "I just wanted to look around. We didn't get to, last time."

"Lancer, I don't think it's a good idea, if you don't have permission," Ralsei said. He had helped Kris reassemble the collection of equipment, and with the storage bin replaced upright, he came to Susie's side. "We were worried you'd disappeared."

With a slight groan, Lancer shifted his foot along the ground. But after a time of no reply, he allowed himself to look to his friends, and his shoulders slumped. "It won't happen again."

Lancer's voice carried an unusual seriousness, with a hint of remorse to compliment. Susie felt a slight pang of guilt, and from the corner of her eye, she suspected Ralsei felt the same. She stepped forward, and gave his head a ruffle.

"Guess I can't really blame you, though. Being in a new world and all that."

The grin returned to Lancer's expression, his mood noticeably brighter. "Yeah! There's a lot of neat stuff here. Can we go around town again?"

"Maybe another time," Susie replied. "Today's for taking it easy."

She spoke with a firm conviction, but with the message it carried, Ralsei giggled a bit. His smile behind his scarf evident, he said, "No sense waiting out here then, right? Let's go inside."

He swiveled on his heel, and roamed around the corner of the house to return to the front door. Lancer followed. Susie shifted, prepared to do the same, but in the motion her eyes trickled over the form of Kris.

She'd forgotten they were even there. They'd been silent the entire exchange, and had meandered near the trees.

* * *

Kris stared.

Their eyes were stuck to the edge of the forest. Their colors were turning by the day, the leaves were only just beginning to fall. But in spots, the treetops were still too thick for light to stream through, and dark patches were created in the forest. Normally, these patches were of little interest, small and infrequent.

But now, _everything_ was dark. To Kris, there was no visibility within the trees. The world around them had turned pitch black, suffocatingly so.

Kris' noted their heart rate, steadily rising in frequency and intensity. The same sensation they felt just hours before, looking at the forest path through the car window. Something didn't feel right then, and now they understood why.

Something was in the forest.

Their feet like cinder blocks, they trudged forward with a single step. Then another. Footprints were left in the embedded with the weight of their feet; they paid no heed, nor a thought spared. Their singular focus was ahead, tunnel vision blotting out all distractions. Their palms lined with sweat, their breathing heavy, throat dry—

"Kris! Where are you going?"

Susie's voice brought them back to their senses. With a light gasp and pant, they blinked, eyes affixed to the forest. The light had returned. They shook their head, hand brought to their hair.

In the time they did so, Susie had come to their side. She attempted to trace their eyes, but saw nothing of note. "You good?"

"I—did you see that?"

She knit her brows. She looked to the forest, and saw nothing of particular note. "See what?"

The trees! They all just... it was only a minute, but it was like nighttime. It got so dark, you couldn't see in the forest."

She moved her stare to Kris. It was then she noted their rather clammy appearance, pale face and sweat accumulating at the forehead. They were breathing a little louder, mouth open a touch.

"Kris, let's get out of here. Come on."

Briefly, she brought her hand to their shoulder, and turned them around with a nudge forward. Obediently, they started back toward the house. She kept her attention focused on the forest.

 _Like it was nighttime...?_

She turned her gaze to the house. Kris had gone around to the front yard, leaving her alone in the back. With a huff, she slid between two in the first row of trees, and felt her shoes crunch against twig and leaf.

* * *

Kris re-entered the living room without commotion.

Seated at the kitchen table, Lancer sat on a small stack of books, fork and knife in hand. His tongue sprawled out in anticipation, they then caught sight of their mother, cutting a slice of the snail pie in the kitchen. Ralsei was seated across from Lancer, hands folded politely.

When Ralsei heard the door open, he turned, and gave Kris a generous wave. "Hi, Kris! Would you like to sit at the table?"

They shook their head. "No thanks. I think I'm gonna lie down, I'm feeling a little sick."

The couch beckoned. Slipping their shoes off in the process, Kris walked to the sofa, laid their head along the armrest, and turned so their back faced the living room. They sighed, and their eyes fell shut.

Ralsei watched this unfold, with a hint of concern in his eyes. He was distracted, to the extent he didn't hear the plate being placed in front of him: it was only Ms. Toriel's voice that snapped him from his trance. He hastily offered his thanks, and she warmly smiled.

Index finger and thumb lightly gripping his fork, Ralsei prodded the slice of snail pie. It wobbled. Lancer had just finished his last bite, and pointed to his plate.

"You gonna have that?"

He stole a glance at the kitchen. Ms. Toriel had her back turned, humming to herself as she washed a dish. Though he felt a twinge of guilt, he slid the pie plate across the table, and Lancer gladly dug into his seconds.

His obligation at the table complete, Ralsei came to his feet. Kris was still at the couch, entirely still; he wasn't sure if they had fallen asleep. Quietly, he stepped over, and peered at their face. Their hair covered a good portion of their features.

"Are you all right, Kris?"

"Huh?" Their eyes blinked open. The first thing their sight settled upon was Ralsei, standing over them, and his face frozen in mild worry. "Oh, um... yeah. Just a little out of it, I guess."

Ralsei gave a nod, but his expression remained unchanged. He reached down and put his hand to Kris' forehead, and they felt their face tint a light shade of pink.

"I hope you're not getting a fever. Do you want anything?"

They shook their head. With a light grimace, Kris planted their palms to the couch cushions, and forced themself to sit upright. It was a fair bit more exertion than they'd expected, their stomach protesting mid-motion. They put their hand to their chest, and allowed a deep breath.

The concern in Ralsei's gut only deepened at the sight of this. But a rusty squeak of hinges ripped his thoughts away, and he turned his attention to the front door.

In came Susie, a fair bit more haggard in appearance than he remembered. Without pausing to acknowledge either, she plopped down at the end of the couch, and set to work removing her shoes. When they came off, loose clumps of dirt and pebbles fell to the floor.

"Susie? Where have you been?"

She said nothing, nothing verbally. Rather, she shifted her stare to Ralsei, and cocked her neck to the stairwell, in a gesture for him to follow. She stood, and though he raised an eyebrow, he did the same. Together, they walked over, and with privacy she spoke:

"Ralsei, can you do something for me?"

Her voice was kept low, only just within his earshot. Ralsei found it quite puzzling, both her request and body language, but he nodded nevertheless. "What do you need?"

"This goes against what I said earlier... but you know that spell you used, when we were looking for Kris' SOUL? I want you to go outside and try it again."

"Why?" Ralsei asked. "What's happening?"

She sighed. From the corner of her eye, Susie looked to Kris, but did her best to be subtle about it: they'd resumed lying down, their hands on their chest, peacefully rising and falling with their breathing.

"When we were outside, Kris said they saw something in the forest. It scared them, kinda."

A second look at their still form confirmed Susie's account to Ralsei. Sickness played a part, but he noted they perhaps appeared fraught, nervous even. "What did they see?" Ralsei said.

"They said it was like nighttime outside. That it was too dark to see anything."

Ralsei's lips went dry. To say it sounded unnatural was putting it mildly. He lifted his scarf to his mouth, hoping to hide the conflict brewing across his visible emotions. A moment later, he nodded once again.

"I'll look into it. Stay in here."

She grunted in acknowledgement. Turning herself around to re-enter the living room, she saw that Lancer had joined Kris at the couch, and the two were locked in conversation.

With Susie joining the fray in the living room, Ralsei sensed an opportunity. Using their time together as a distraction, he slipped past the group without a word or glance, and moved out the front door. He closed it behind him, as gently as he could manage.

"The forest..."

Ralsei's self-talk was kept quiet, even with his isolation. He surveyed the area. She hadn't mentioned a particular spot, and the forest surrounded the entirety of Kris' home: if the darkness was as Susie described, it would have covered a vast area, perhaps overwhelmingly so. He settled on beginning with the side of the house, and walked around.

He stood before the trees. Reaching his hand out, he extended his palm upward, and focused. After all the energy he put into the healing spell for Kris' SOUL, his magic hadn't made a full recovery yet, but the tracking spell materialized all the same.

He turned.

Inside the house was a spike of energy. The sheer strength, the _energy_ emitting from within, it brought a great stress to himself. He found it challenging, overwhelmingly so, to maintain focus on the signature. He released the spell, and took a breath.

The source came from the couch in the living room. There was no question Kris' SOUL was active, perhaps excessively so. Whether a stress reaction, or simply re-acclimating to Kris' body, he didn't know.

A few steps into the forest, Ralsei discovered across a rather large tree stump. He walked to it, and sat himself down, hands folded together.

 _This doesn't make sense, why would they see darkness? Their SOUL looks overactive, but..._

His mind raced with possibilities, combing his memories to remember as much of his studies as he could. He was certain the answer was _somewhere,_ the trials of SOULs as powerful as Kris', that brought about such unusual circumstance.

But he only came up empty.

 _No, there's something missing here. Something I'm not remembering._

Ralsei rose. Leaves and gravel crunching beneath his feet, he marched from the forest to return to the front door of the home, and without pause he stepped inside.

Within the living room, only Kris remained at the sofa, while Susie and Lancer occupied the kitchen. It seemed Lancer had volunteered to help Ms. Toriel with the creation of a new pie, with Susie a (from her expression, very unwilling) participant.

Ralsei chose to speak to Kris first. He approached them, and they in turn greeted him with eye contact.

"Hi... where have you been?"

Ralsei hopped up on the couch. Kris mirrored their posture, and the two remained still for a instant.

"I was outside, Kris. Susie told me what happened, I went to look for myself."

Immediately Kris' expression took a downturn. But they nodded nevertheless, and found their speech quickly. "Oh... did you, um, find anything?"

He shook his head.

"No, not about your vision. But I _did_ see something else."

"What? What was it?"

Ralsei allowed himself time to study Kris' features. To his great relief, he saw they looked a fair bit less pale than before, reduced fatigue and sickness. He assumed they were feeling a little better.

"Kris, your SOUL is, well, _active_ right now. It's using a lot of energy, even more than usual."

They cocked their head to the side. "Is that bad?"

"No, not usually." He moved his observation from his feet, to Kris' eyes, and they in turn established contact. He smiled a bit. "It's a little curious, but... it also means you're okay. I think you _are_ feeling better."

Kris smiled, and they leaned back into the couch. Ralsei's grin remained pertinent, plain for Kris to see. But it was just a for a fleeting moment, before a more serious disposition once again overtook him. He swallowed down a brief gulp.

"... But Kris, I'm not sure why you saw a vision. Everything looked fine."

They scratched the side of their head, brows wrinkled, and an uncertain gleam in their eyes. "It was kinda weird, yeah. And it's happened before."

"Really? When?"

"In the car, on the way home," Kris said. "Like, you saw how we drove by the forest, right? I got nervous in the front seat, it felt like I was panicking a little bit. I guess I did a pretty good job hiding it."

Ralsei scoured his memories, sifting through a whirlwind of intrusive reflections and emotions. Indeed, the car ride to the house passed the forest. But in particular...

His eyes expanded. The forest, it didn't just encircle the house, it surrounded the _entire town._ And at the very edge, down a long, straightforward dirt path, was the bunker of dirt and rock where those mysterious doors dwelled. The place Kris themself had visited, for reasons they didn't know, nor remembered.

Pieces flew together in Ralsei's head. He knew some parts of the puzzle were missing, but one thing was certain: those doors, they _meant_ something to Kris. Something they weren't even cognizant of, but it carried great importance. He needed to find out what.

But he couldn't do it without more information.

"Kris, I'm... I'm very sorry, but I think I need to return to the Dark World."

The air in the living room seemed to drop. Kris felt a surge of surprise within them, balanced evenly with sadness. But they again came to a nod, and leaned forward. "I understand... do you want to go now?"

"If it's possible. I just—I need to visit the library, Kris. Figure some things out, about SOULs, and visions. I want to make sure everything will be alright."

Kris shifted their face away from their companion. Their left hand came to a tight grip against the cushion, their expression contorting to match their feelings.

"Will you come back soon?"

Their voice was hardly a whisper, sorrow dripping from every word. He felt his heart plummet.

Without pause, Ralsei reached forward, and wrapped Kris in his arms. They imitated the motion, their grip firm, and they squeezed Ralsei tight within their embrace.

"I'm scared..."

Kris' statement was unforeseen. His thoughts in slight disarray, Ralsei brought his arms to extension. He gazed deeply into their eyes, and did his best to read their thoughts.

"Scared? Of what?"

Kris swallowed the lump in their throat. They needed a break to compose themself, and bring their thoughts to the open:

"What if I lost my SOUL because I went to the Dark World? What if... what if I can't go back? What can I even _do?"_

On first consideration, the thought was surprising to Ralsei, and something he couldn't completely rule out. But that could come later, in the confines of his library: all that was important now was Kris.

"Kris, remember our promise? I'm not going anywhere. I'll come see you tomorrow."

His statement fell on ears that sorely needed it. The recollection of their promise wiped Kris' grief away, to be swapped for a tranquil understanding. Their face reflecting such, they gave a slow nod.

"I can't wait..."

Ralsei smiled. They sat for a touch longer, quiet in their presence together, and satisfied just the same. But then, Kris brought themself to shift their balance forward, and came to their feet. "I guess I should ask my mom for her keys."

"Her keys? Keys for what?"

"The school," Kris replied. "She's a teacher there. That's our way into the building, it's getting late in the afternoon."

It made enough sense to Ralsei that he chose to hold his tongue. Kris turned their shoulder to head for the kitchen, and Ralsei found himself left to his devices. He kept himself occupied by absently swinging his foot, eyes glued to the floor.

 _I'll be back soon, Kris... hopefully with some answers. For us both._


	9. Chapter 9

As Kris went to ask their mother for her key into the school, Ralsei took this opportunity to inform Lancer and Susie of his intent to depart for the Dark World. Though disappointment ruled both their emotions, they understood all the same.

"Yeah, I guess it's time for us to go home," Lancer said. "A king can't be away for _too_ long!"

With a cross of her arms, Susie nodded. Thankful for their acceptance, Ralsei then shifted his eyes to the kitchen, and saw Kris approaching with a key ring in their hand. They waved it in the air, and joined the three of them.

"You guys ready?"

Everyone approved. After slipping into their shoes, Kris brought their hand to the door, and propped it open for the others to exit. They all did, and they were the last to step out of the house.

Kris closed the door behind them. Susie and Lancer had begun down the driveway, but Ralsei waited around. "What did you tell your mother, when you asked for the keys?" he asked as Kris approached.

"Um, I told her I wanted to collect the homework I've missed. And that all of you are going home."

Ralsei breathed a sigh of relief, and at this, they raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Kris asked.

A spout of hesitation struck Ralsei, and he needed time to allow his voice to return. "Kris, I still haven't told your mother about the Dark World." He touched the tips of his index fingers together, eyes shifting downward. "I've been putting it off."

"It's okay, Ralsei. You can tell her whenever you're ready."

Kris' tone was considerate, sympathetic to his concerns. Deeply grateful for such, he managed a slight nod, with closure of his eyes to match. "I guess it's rather silly of me... I've already told your _brother_ about the Dark World, but I'm still nervous."

"No, I think I get it," Kris shrugged. "You don't have to rush things. But... my mom might get a _little_ nervous at the 'battle with the king' part. Keep that in mind."

Their tone was intended to be humorous, and such was not lost upon Ralsei. With a slight chuckle, he brought his scarf to his mouth to obscure his growing smile. "I should hope not. Your brother took it well, all things considered."

"He's always been pretty level-headed," Kris said. "For the most part. Not when I would beat him at video games."

Another laugh. Kris couldn't resist a smile as well.

"Man, can you guys pick up the pace a little? It'll be dark by the time we get there."

Susie's call from up ahead, though her back remained turned to them both, shook Kris and Ralsei from their conversation. A bit of an embarrassed blush settling on Kris' face, they both ran to catch up. Lancer was cackling about something, though they couldn't guess what.

The time was mid-afternoon, and the sun was just beginning its descent. Ralsei took inventory of their surroundings: the group had just entered the outskirts of town, and were coming close to the library. From there, he remembered the school was in proximity.

With a glance to Kris, part of him wished hesitation could stay his feet, just a little longer. But his more rational side told him there was no time to waste. Not after that vision Kris suffered. He knew he needed to get to his library, and get cracking on a solution.

Determination swelled his features, and he regained vigor in his march. Kris watched this from the corner of their eye.

"You good, dude?"

Kris blinked, and turned their head. Susie looked to them with a neutral expression, one they couldn't quite place. Though perhaps not _entirely_ truthful, they nodded nevertheless. "Yes. Why?"

"You looked kinda out of it. I was worried you were seeing something else."

"Seeing something else? What do you—" Kris' voice cut on a dime, as the meaning of her statement dawned on them. She referred to their vision of the darkening of the forest, and the memories of such came to a head. "Oh... no, I'm not. Don't worry."

Susie shoved her hands in her pockets, diverting her attention to her shoes. Her eyes narrowed, hidden behind her screen of hair. "Good." She paused. Then, with a bit of uncertainty mixed in her tone, she said "If it happens again, let me know."

Kris tilted their head to the side. They could detect the strangeness of her tone, and she knew they were prying further. She groaned.

"Look, I'm just—I'm worried about you, alright?"

She half-expected them to mock her, though she knew it wasn't Kris' personality to do so. But what happened instead surprised her entirely: Kris closed their eyes, and through their nose, took a deep breath. When they blinked open, a thin smile ran across their expression.

"Susie, you were right. You really _have_ learned how to ACT."

Embarrassment flushed across Susie's face. With a slight sneer, she angled her head away from Kris, but she did so to hide her own smile emerging. "Yeah? What makes _you_ the expert?"

"Um... intuition? I have no idea, honestly." They shrugged. "But still... you're a really good friend. Thanks."

Kris meant every word, their quiet, sincere tone more than ample proof. With a resigned sigh, she turned back to face them, and gave a surrendering smile.

"You too."

Kris grinned.

Their brief conversation at an end, Susie refocused herself to the surroundings. Though she'd kept a subconscious tab on how far the group had traveled, she now knew precisely. The school was just a couple minutes ahead.

She snuck a glance to Ralsei, and Lancer. The two walked side-by-side, and both were entirely quiet. Lancer kept himself obscured by his hood, and Ralsei his hat. Both were slouching in posture, feet made of lead to boot. They weren't in any hurry.

Then, she turned to Kris. They too had taken the time to look at their friends, and it put them in a similar state of mind and appearance. And with good reason.

With a few more minutes of a solemn march, the group reached the front doors. Key in hand, Kris first looked to the others, and their gaze found Ralsei in particular. They discerned a particular sadness in his eyes, something that caused their own feelings to ripple. But Ralsei gave a nod to Kris, and they answered the motion.

Kris stuck the key in the lock, turned, and brought the door open. Without pause, they stepped through the doorframe, and allowed the others to file through.

The school hallways were entirely empty, no students or staff about. Save for a few dim light fixtures, hanging overhead, only natural illumination filled the hallways. The sun's descent was approaching midpoint, and the windows tinted the floors and walls a dull orange. Susie noted how similar it was to the day of the adventure.

A few steps further, and she looked to her left. At the end of the hallway was Ms. Alphys' room, and a set of lockers. One in particular caught her eye, the one Kris stood near when they caught her eating chalk. The memory was mildly amusing to her.

Then, she recalled the feeling of their sweater in her grip. Shoving them against the wall. The scowl spreading across her lips, her teeth bared and mouth open wide, and dilated pupils.

 _Kris. How do you feel... about losing your face?_

She brought her hand to their shoulder. Kris turned, and confusion won over their features at first glance. When they followed her eyes, however, and discovered where she'd been staring, their mouth fell open slightly.

"... I'm sorry, Kris."

Her voice was quiet, uncharacteristically so. Kris brushed her hand away. Their face was persistent, unrelenting.

"It was forever ago, Susie. Things have changed, right?"

Susie gave a firm nod. Her gaze shifted to the forms of Ralsei and Lancer, and sensing such, they both met her halfway. "Things _have_ changed. For all of us, I think."

Needless to say, both the Darkners were puzzled from this exchange. But all the same, discerning her uptick in tone and emotion, Ralsei worked up a wholesome smile, and Lancer couldn't fight off a bit of a sheepish grin.

Neither were for very long. The end of the hallway had arrived.

Quietly, the four stood before the storage closet. Kris and Susie stared quietly, as if to decipher the paint chips and rust adorning the black metal doors. Ralsei furrowed his brows, and he made note of the empty classroom to their right.

"Um, Susie? Isn't it through there?" He pointed to the room in question, but against his expectations, she shook her head.

"No... this is the entrance, right here."

The four of them stared upon the door for a moment longer. Then, with a step over to his side, Ralsei approached Kris, and came to establish eye contact.

"Kris...?"

They put their hand forward, a gesture indicating for him to say no more. They allowed themself a moment to collect their emotions, and in such time a half-smile appeared.

"It's like you said. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Ralsei lowered his hat over his eyes. He gave a weak nod, swallowing the tight feeling in his throat. "Yes..."

Then, he felt a shift at his feet. Lancer had moved away from the door, and approached Susie; with his arm held up, he offered a high-five, and after watching him quietly for a moment, she accepted the gesture with a grin.

"See ya later, Susie! It was fun being able to see the Light World."

She reached down, and with a firm hand, ruffled the top of his head. "It won't be the last time."

Ralsei watched their interaction unfold. It brought a warm feeling to him, to see his two close friends be so content in the presence of each other. But from there, he didn't choose to stop: memories rolled in, of the emotional highs and lows of the past twenty four hours. The heartbreak of learning the news of Kris' condition, to the euphoria of their awakening, and everything in between...

There would be more time to reflect later. For now, he had a job to get to.

Without prompting, Ralsei approached the closet door. Reaching forward and taking the handle in his fingers, he felt the rusted metal send a cold feeling to the touch. But he yanked it downward regardless, and the door swung in.

The closet exposed, he took a second to look it over. A few shelves, a mop and bucket in the corner, and loose papers scattered about the floor. He craned his neck to look behind, and from the corner of his eye he found Susie. "Are you _sure_ this is right?"

"When you close the door, you'll fall. Just trust me on this."

He felt a pang of doubt within him, but nodded nevertheless. Recognizing the time was at hand, Lancer came forward to join his side. The two stood quietly within the room, the door open, and Ralsei cast one final look to his friends.

They both stood side-by-side. Ralsei could see a sorrowful glaze in Kris' eyes, but they offered their most manageable smile all the same. Ralsei reciprocated.

"Well... see you guys later."

Susie was the final push. With nothing else to be said, Ralsei reached forward, and with a loud clangor of lock and latch, he shut the door.

Seconds passed. The hallway fell mute, save for the tick of a clock on the wall. And then, in the time of a heartbeat later, Susie grabbed for the handle and tugged the door open once more.

They were gone.

* * *

The walk outside the school was shrouded in silence.

After stepping out the front doors, and locking them with their mother's key, Kris directed their attention upward. The sunset had turned quite vibrant, the sky awash with a brilliant mix of orange, red, and purple. A rather nippy autumn wind had also begun, and kicked up a bit of a chill around them. They quietly wished they had their jacket, and cursed their unpreparedness.

All the same, the rustling of leaves from the trees was quite peaceful. They took a moment to gaze upon the treetops lining the roads, and Susie made mental note of this. Her own impatience won out, and she decided to give them a nudge.

"Kris, give me your phone."

They scrunched their brows. "My phone? Why?"

Mildly irritated, but doing her best not to show, she narrowed her gaze. "I want to add my number to it, so I can text you when it's time for us to go tomorrow."

"Go to the Dark World?" Kris said. She nodded, and they felt a stab of regret. "Um, I think they'll have to come _here,_ actually."

At this, she raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"I told Ralsei this already, but... I'm worried entering the Dark World caused my SOUL to act up. I don't think I should try it again, not until he does more research."

She had to admit, it wasn't a ridiculous theory on its face. Choosing to err on the side of caution, she then said: "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But I'll have to go and get them, then."

Kris' face fell, angled slightly to avoid Susie's gaze. "Do you mind? I mean, if you don't want to—"

"Man, it's fine," she interrupted. "It's no problem."

Kris came to a slow nod, their slight frown morphing to a thin, lips half-pursed smile. They felt a wave of gratitude, one they hoped they could articulate. "Thanks, Susie."

She decided to continue. "Kris, they're our friends. If we have a chance to see them, we're going to take it. I don't care if it's a little inconvenient."

She paused.

"And... you and Ralsei are damn _nerds._ Might as well be nerds together."

Kris snickered, bringing their hand to their mouth, and they had to break eye contact. The reaction brought temporary surprise to Susie; she didn't think it was _that_ funny. But before long, she felt a smile emerge all the same.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

Kris' voice was rather muted, kept to a near hush. Their smile fading not long after, their expression went stoic, and they took to staring at nothing in the distance. Susie could tell they were deep in thought.

Her mind returned to just a few hours ago, of the problems with the forest. She decided to snap them out of it.

"Kris, let's get going. I'll walk home with you."

"Huh?" Kris blinked, and their gaze swiped away from the distance. "Oh... um, okay. Thanks."

Susie began down the sidewalk, a steady march at her usual speed. Kris had to employ long strides to keep up, but sensing their extra effort, she decided to slow herself a bit. They were grateful for such.

Like the hallways of school, the walk back to Kris' home remained entirely silent. The wind had picked up in fervor, though fortunately not to where it stung their eyes; tree branches swayed in all directions, and stray, fallen leaves kicked up at their feet from time to time. Kris paid little heed, but Susie kept a rather close eye on them.

 _Kris seems fine now... whatever they saw earlier, I hope Ralsei can figure it out._

Susie shook her head, and pushed such thoughts to the back of her mind. Though she wasn't keen to admit it, there was nothing she could do at the moment. She adopted a rather sulking expression.

Nevertheless, Kris' home was just ahead. Minutes later, they came to the front door, and Kris turned.

"Do you want to come back in? You could probably stay for dinner."

Susie shook her head. "Nah, I think I'll get out of here. I've bothered you guys enough." She'd meant for her statement to be humorous, but discovered Kris was quite serious with a frown.

"Susie, you're not bothering us. You can come here whenever you want, we'll always be happy to have you."

Kris' tone was persistent, unyielding in their sincerity. She freed a gentle sigh from herself, but looking at them, the corner of her lips curved upward.

"Maybe another day. But thanks."

They reflected her smile with one of their own. And for one still, quiet moment, they lingered about the front step, Kris leaning gently against the house, and Susie with her hands in her pockets.

"Listen, Kris. If more shit happens, text me. Got it?"

They nodded. She as well.

"Good... catch you later, I guess."

With an unceremonious goodbye, she turned, began down the driveway, and with a few steps further, she disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Kris watched her the entire way, a slightly amused expression lining their face.

A lone memory came to them.

 _You have family and friends that care about you. We'll always be here for you._

Kris' smile only grew wider. They found themself distracted, dawdling before they reached for the doorknob, and motioned to step inside. They took a breath.

 _Thank you, Ralsei. You were right._

With a small turn of their wrist, they pushed the door open, and in one motion slipped through the frame. They closed it behind them.

* * *

The walk back to the castle was one of mixed emotions.

Upon first arrival, Lancer expressed a great deal of joy. Without a care for his surroundings, and his arms spread wide, he ran a few steps forward, tripped, and nearly planted his face to the ground. Even so, he burst to his feet with zeal, and spun on his heel to face Ralsei.

"Ralsei, look! We're home!"

A weak grin came across Ralsei's features. Lancer's enthusiasm brought a new appreciation for their return, and they took a longing moment to scan for the environment. Though he hadn't been here in a while, he recognized their drop point as the old pathway, west of the castle. It would be a bit of a journey to get back, and so he rose to his feet.

"Lancer, we should start moving."

He nodded, tongue-out and grin unceasing. Ralsei shifted his scarf, lowering it below his chin, and it was only then he laid eyes on his attire for the first time. His familiar mage's outfit had returned, and to confirm he lifted his hat and glanced it over. Pointy as ever.

His observations complete, Ralsei replaced the hat atop his head, and he and Lancer began to walk side-by-side. Their footsteps echoed in the darkness, with only the pulse and throbs of nearby reservoirs of liquid to fill the space. It was all quite eerie to Ralsei, and he wanted to break the silence.

"What will you do when you get home, Lancer?"

"Get something to eat! Then do some wheelies on my bike." Lancer made no effort to hide his blunt eagerness, and it elicited a chuckle from Ralsei. "Probably king stuff, too. That's not as fun, but New Dad helps me a lot."

Ralsei nodded. "I think those are some good ideas. It would be wise to de-stress a bit."

"What about you? What's _your_ plan?"

Ralsei felt himself gently sigh. He sensed he had little control of himself, his dejected body language, and he cleared this throat to ground himself. "I need to visit the library, in the castle. There's more I need to study about SOUL removal."

At this, Lancer's grin faded a touch. A wave of sympathy came upon him, mixed with his own feelings on the matter, and he felt a need to act on it.

"I hope the Clown will be okay."

Ralsei nodded. He dipped his head, and replaced the scarf over the lower portion of his face. "Me too, Lancer."

Another interval of silence came upon them. But with time to himself to reflect, Ralsei felt his tongue become increasingly anxious; he had no explanation, but he wanted to say more. He _needed_ to say more, for his own sake.

"I'm... I'm _scared,_ Lancer. I'm scared about Kris."

His voice, broken from his normal even temperament and emotion, came as a shock to Lancer. He shifted his head to face them, eyes slightly expanded, and his mouth in an O shape. Ralsei didn't wait for him to formulate a response.

"I'm scared they won't be the same. What if their SOUL only gets _worse,_ not better? I used my strongest healing magic, but Kris is much stronger than I am... if the wound reopens, or there's another one, I might not be able to stop it. _No one_ will be able to stop it. And then..."

The words began to elude Ralsei, and he direly needed to stop for a breath. He did so, and in this time, his face contorted in a deep, overbearing frown. His eyes became glassy, he needed to lower his glasses and bring his hand to them. They had stopped walking long ago.

Lancer could only watch with sorrow, his eyes reflecting his emotions. He brought his hand up to Ralsei's back, and gave a mild rub.

Lancer's attempts to cheer up Ralsei produced a visible effect, and his panicked form entered a brief reprieve. Ralsei chose to sit, and Lancer did the same.

"I... I'm just nervous, Lancer. I don't know what could happen, it frightens me."

Lancer gave a nod, appreciative of Ralsei's concerns. "It's a little scary. I didn't know if we were going to _find_ their SOUL, to begin with."

"And even when we did, it was terribly injured," Ralsei added. "And we still don't know _how_ it was hurt. We don't know why it was in that cage, we don't know if it'll happen again. We don't know _anything!"_

Frustration punctured Ralsei's voice, plain for himself and Lancer to hear. He balled his hands into tight fists, holding them at his sides. But before long, his fingers sprouted open, and his anger dissipated. He felt his concern well up within him once more; he moved to gently hold the fabric of his shirt.

"You really like the Clown, don't you?"

The question came as a surprise. An indistinguishable noise escaped Ralsei, and from the corner of his eye he looked to Lancer; the other maintained a slight frown, but one of empathy, not judgement. Ralsei took a moment to ponder, but all he managed at first effort was an exhale.

"... I do."

Lancer offered a faint smile, though one with a bit of uncertainty. He planted his hands flat on the ground, and shifted himself to face Ralsei better.

"I think it'll all be okay. When you really care about someone, you'll find a way, right?"

Confidence seeped from his every word. Ralsei found himself lost for words, baffled by his apparent conviction. Rather than muster a meaningful response, he could only mumble: "How? How do you know?"

Lancer shrugged.

"No clue. But I have a feeling."

Ralsei's gaze remained firmly on his friend, mouth slightly ajar. Lancer shared a slight smile, tongue sticking out somewhat, and then he came to his feet.

"But if we're going to do something, there's no point in waiting around. Let's go!"

Regardless of height difference, he stuck his hand forward. Ralsei eyed it, curiosity, wonder, and confusion alike infused within himself. His mind ran.

Part of him couldn't understand Lancer's enthusiasm, his _determination_ in the face of the horizon ahead. Coming before them were not insurmountable odds, but rather, an uncertain future: how could he hold such conviction, when so many things could go wrong, that everything would go _right?_ How could he turn a blind eye?

But Ralsei studied him closer. His wide, toothy smile, extended hand eagerly awaiting his own. There was no doubt in his body language, hesitation or uncertainty entirely absent. He knew what he said would come true.

It reminded Ralsei of something. Of just a day ago, at the end of a long, dark trail. Kris' SOUL hadn't been there, at those doors in the forest, but _he_ didn't give up. Not even in dire straits.

And he wouldn't now.

Ralsei reached for Lancer's hand, and used it for support. He stood, and turned to the pathway ahead.

"You're right, Lancer. Let's keep going."


	10. Chapter 10

The evening was a wonderful time for Kris.

Asriel's return home came less than an hour after Kris', but just in time for dinner. Place settings had been laid out, and with his spot at the table occupied, Kris felt a certain fulfillment within them. It had been ages since they were all together like this, to sit down and spend time together.

They relished every moment.

Stories were swapped, laughter and smiles all around. Asriel expressed his repeated gratefulness for home cooking, something his mother took great pride in. And when all was said and done, and the two had helped with dishes, it was off to the living room for more conversation.

Through all this, Kris paid no attention to the time. It was only upon a yawn, with failure to contain it, that Toriel glanced at the clock.

"Kris, perhaps you should think about sleep. It's getting a little late."

She expected them to put up a fight, but to her surprise, Kris made no such effort. "Yeah, you're right... I'm kind of tired, anyway."

From their position on the couch, Kris stood, and took inventory of the living room. Toriel was seated in the famous Chairiel, while Asriel occupied the other seat; at their move, he too decided to stand, and with a step to Kris he gave them a playful slug on the shoulder.

"Tomorrow, how about we go down to QC's? We'll get hot chocolates, my treat."

Kris, with an enthusiastic smile, dutifully nodded. Asriel mirrored the expression, and then returned to his seat. Putting the footrest up, he leaned back slightly, and gave a thumbs up. Kris returned the gesture.

And so, with matters settled, Kris offered their mother a quick hug good night, and slinked off upstairs. They went to their bedroom without pause, and, recognizing their t-shirt and sweatpants were comfortable enough, simply plopped down on their bed.

Their head barely hit the pillow before they were asleep.

* * *

With a hand to his mouth, Ralsei unleashed a wide, mouth-open yawn.

Piled high on the desk of the library's alcove, stacks of books surrounded his mildly slumped form. A lone candle in a lantern provided light, and cast reflections along the shelves and walls of the room: he had to admit, it made for a rather cozy atmosphere. And, in his tired state, a sleepy one.

He pushed his glasses up, and returned his attention to his book.

In Ralsei's right hand, he held a pen, and a notebook flat on the desk to match. In his search for information on SOULs, he would scribble a line of interest, or something to remember later; as the minutes had turned to hours, and page after page had filled, he wasn't sure how much progress he'd made. He looked to the stack to his left, and the books remaining towered.

Ralsei groaned. Pushing his pen and notebook away, he laid his head on the pages of the open book before him, and lazily turned to the side. His eyes drooped, the clutches of sleep creeping upon him, but he fought it off as best he could. Hours of study and research on SOULs had turned his mind to mush.

But then, a soft knock at the door earned Ralsei's attention. He trudged to the door with plodding feet, and opened it roughly a quarter.

Standing before him, his blue jacket and white hair unmistakable, was Rouxls Kaard. The Duke of Puzzles.

Ralsei found himself at a loss.

"Um... yes?"

"I presenteth thou, thine King of the Dark World! Show some respecte, worm."

Kaard stepped aside, and standing behind him was Lancer. He was holding a large, ceramic tray covered with foil, and a big smile across his face. Ralsei's first instinct was to offer a casual hello, but with an eye on Kaard, he instead knelt.

"Ralsei! How are you doing?"

Ralsei again came to his feet. "I'm alright, La—um, your Majesty. What brings you here?"

Lancer brought the tray forward. Ralsei raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless lifted the foil and peered; lining the surface was an assortment of cookies. A light gasp escaped, stars filling his eyes.

"I know you wanted to work tonight, so I thought you might like something to eat! New Dad helped me."

Kaard nodded. "Indeed. Whenst thy King presented his propostal, I felteth it very wise."

Lancer nodded. Setting the tray down on a nearby reading chair, he ran to Kaard's leg, and gave it a quick squeeze. An embarrassed expression flickered across his face, but he nevertheless reached down and ruffled Lancer's head.

"It's very kind of you both," Ralsei said. Walking to the tray, he picked up a palm-sized sugar cookie, and took a generous bite. He found it to be marvelous, and smiled.

Lancer approached the desk, and after climbing aboard the seat, he momentarily looked over the books and documents scattered about. "Wow, this looks like a lot! How much have you read so far?"

"The stack on the right is what I've finished. I have quite a bit more to go."

Lancer gaped. The rightmost stack was enormous, nearly twice as tall as the left. "What are you trying to find?" he asked, and the question generated a shrug from Ralsei.

"Anything, really. I'm compiling information, it'll all come in handy later." Ralsei had to stifle another yawn, and he lowered his glasses to rub his eyes, one at a time. "I've recorded everything I've thought is relevant. I'll look it over after some sleep."

Lancer nodded. Hopping down from the desk chair, he approached the cushiony reading chair in the alcove's corner, and helped himself to a cookie. Ralsei gave him a gentle smile.

"Would you like to take some of these back? It's really quite a lot, I don't think I can eat them all."

Lancer burped. With an unapologetic grin across his face, he gave his stomach a pat. "It's probably not a good idea, we made way more than this. New Dad would get mad at me." He unleashed a giggle at the latter half of his statement, and Kaard crossed his arms.

Ralsei took the tray in his hands, moved it carefully to the floor, and plopped down in the reading chair. He slipped his glasses free from his nose, and set to rubbing his eyes with his free hand; Lancer took note of this.

"Maybe we should go, you look like you need a rest."

"I'll be alright," Ralsei mumbled. But yet another yawn followed, and only served to prove Lancer's point. With a half-smile, he walked to the side of the reading chair, and gave Ralsei a pat on the shoulder.

"Hopefully everyone else comes tomorrow. It'll be a lot of fun."

Ralsei's eyes had closed. "I hope so too..."

Lancer brought his hands together, and made the decision to leave his friend to his rest. With one final look to Ralsei, he turned, and with Kaard by his side, he stepped out the library and closed the door.

The prince had already descended to sleep.

* * *

At first feeling, the air had turned cold.

Kris shot upright, eyes widened. Immediately, they brought their hand to eye level, and gave it a once-over: it was covered entirely with dirt, and light red marks and scratches. Their bed and bedroom were gone.

They blinked. They shifted their gaze around them, in a panorama. Nighttime had engulfed the scenery, a dark cloud cover blotting out the moonlight. Wind rustled in the trees.

They were in the forest.

With sluggishness, Kris came to a stand. They found their knees were weaker, trembling in protest. They were only in shorts and a t-shirt, the cold gusts did them no favors. They shivered, bringing their arms around themself to combat the cold.

They began to walk.

Their feet were bare, not even socks for protection. They winced at seemingly every other step, their skin in contact with sharp rocks, and branches. They planted their gaze to their feet, desperate to watch their step, but the ground's cloak of darkness rendered the task impossible.

But still, Kris continued.

They ignored everything within themself. They couldn't feel their rapid heart beat, headache forgotten, and dry, crackled lips kept in disregard. Their eyes had turned glassy, the whipping wind stinging with every blink, but they never bothered.

It was only their feet they paid mind to. They needed them.

Only the winds and whispers of trees could be heard. But Kris felt a sort of _calling,_ coming from long in the distance. A distance shrouded in darkness, a thick, choking, noxious atmosphere they dreaded to go. But they were moving automatically now.

A single step forward.

They could sense their destination approaching. A faint outline emerged before them; their depth perception was hindered by the dark, but it was approaching. They broke into a run, irregardless of the risk posed. Closer, closer, closer—

They tripped. Kris fell forward in a heap, with only their arms to hastily break the fall. Dirt and rock kicked up around them, a grimace spreading across their face, but otherwise they felt themself uninjured. They looked up.

They had come to the locked doors in the forest.

Kris collected themself, coming to a stand. They paid no attention paid to the soot and earth layering their clothes. Their singular focused remained fixed, embedded to those rusted, red doors.

They came to the front of the doors, and stood before them. They reached their hand forward, ever so slightly, transfixed in mid-motion. They felt themself shake, fingers uncertain, waiting for the final effort.

And then, with a sharp, biting breath, they brought their palm to the metal surface, and pushed. The door swung open.

A warm breeze sifted through the open doorframe. It made battle with the cold of the forest, and brought Kris' shivers to a slow halt. They brought a hand to their eyes, and rubbed the blurriness away. They blinked twice, for clarity.

A slight purple hue emerged from the interior of the doors. Kris narrowed their eyes, but individual shapes and colors, save for this strange glow, were difficult to determine; they _knew_ there was something more, well in the distance. They brought a step forward, filing through to enter the room.

Without their control, the doors slammed shut behind them.

The purple glow intensified, and the surroundings were more brightly lit. An assortment of darkened trees, with oddly shaped pink leaves ran far and away, with purple grass and pathways weaving between.

They had entered the Field of Hopes and Dreams.

They swiveled on their heel, looking to the door. The rusty, metal entrance of the forest had disappeared, replaced by an ordinary bedroom door, with flames seeping from beneath the crack. It was a Warp Door, for fast travel around the Dark World.

And, evidently, a connection to the Light World.

Kris brought their gaze downward. Fist clenched, they discovered gloves had emerged to cover their hands. Their shoulders felt heavier, weighed with their armor.

At their hip, their sword dangled loosely in its sheath. Their fingers wrapped along the handle, and they drew their weapon. Their eyes ran along the pink and purple blade, its spotless steel, immaculate pommel and grip, its _sharpness_...

Behind their screen of hair, one crimson red eye gazed out upon the horizon. Sword in hand, they marched forward.

* * *

From where Ralsei lay, he could see little. His back pressed flat to the ground, he only continued to stare upward, and his reward came as a scattering of dark branches and purple and pink leaves.

His scarf served well to cover his face from the wind.

 _Am I dreaming...?_

He brought himself upright. Taking a quick peek around, it didn't take a detective to identify his chair and library were long gone: he resided in the Field of Hopes and Dreams, and he was uncertain exactly where. It was an open, circular clearing, surrounded by bushes and trees.

His thought were broken by a sound. A steady trickle of metallic boots, slightly off in the distance. Footsteps. Ralsei stood, and pushed his glasses up his face.

The crunch of a branch brought his nerves on edge. A thwack overtook the clearing, bushes and brambles being _hacked away_ by a blade, something he could identify without sight. He shot a panicked glance behind him, he considered making a run for it—

And then, the figure cut through a final layer of branch and underbrush, and came to the edge of the clearing. His eyes settled upon the figure, and widened.

It was Kris.

A million thoughts ran through Ralsei's head, and all died on encroachment of his tongue. His mouth hanging open slightly, he only came to notice such with a gulp. He blinked twice.

"Kris?"

No reply. Kris only took a step forward, toward the center of the clearing where he stood. Then another.

Ralsei studied them closely. The warm, caring smile he'd come to know so well was gone, swapped for a detached, almost unnatural blank stare. Their body language was stiff, unyielding to their surroundings. Their march forward mechanical.

Their eyes were a deep red, boring into nothing. In their right hand, they clutched the hilt of their sword, the tip of the blade dragging along the ground.

Ralsei felt himself petrified. His breathing quickened, but his feet remained rooted. In the time it took his muscles to respond, Kris came to his front, and looked him in the eyes.

They said nothing. But a sharply curled grin cracked across their lips, teeth bared, breathing through their mouth—

 _Different, like you weren't you... that you could lose yourself, and not do anything about it. That you didn't have control._

The memory of Kris' fears played in Ralsei's head like a record.

And in the time it took him to comprehend such, Kris' red eyes steeled their gaze. He could sense them entering a _battle,_ adopting a combat stance. Their emotions were clear to him.

Panic exploded in Ralsei's gut. He burst into a run, and as the clearing and Field blurred around him, he desperately wished to wake up.

* * *

The scream was loud enough to wake the entire town.

Asriel rocketed forward from his bed, sheets and pillows strewn about. His eyes wide and unblinking, his sight darted to his left, panic infused in his every move. Kris was sitting upright, clutching their head, face angled low. Their shout persisted.

Asriel dashed to Kris' bedside. Taking his sibling by both their shoulders, he shook them with untempered force. "KRIS!"

The bedroom door opened forcefully, and Asriel cocked his head to steal a glimpse; Torirel had entered, with similar shock lining her expression, and she came to join Asriel. Kris paid no attention, their only focus on their strained, heavy breathing. Their scream had ceased at last.

Sweat dripped from their face and nose, and tears mingled.

A minute passed. Only the sound of Kris' struggles to calm themself filled the room, and no efforts were made to change such. Their mother had knelt by their bedside, their hand taken in her own, and Asriel kept his hand pressed to their back.

Kris lowered their hands from their hair. They looked up, and they first came to Asriel's gaze. Pure fear was evident, eyes enlarged and glassy, breathing tense and labored. They shuddered at every moment.

And when they went to speak, they could only muster a whimper. Toriel gave their hand a further squeeze.

"It was just a bad dream, Kris. It's over now."

Her voice was soft, teeming with her care and affection for her child. Asriel gave a nod of agreement. But verbalization continued to elude Kris, and they spent more time to calm themself.

And as minutes went by, the labor in their breathing reduced. Steady, shallowness returned. They gulped. Lifting their head at last, they shifted their gaze to Asriel, then their mother.

"It... it felt so _real..."_

Kris' voice fared little better than a murmur, hardly audible to all in the room. But Asriel responded with a squeeze of their shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Kris. That dream won't come around again, I'll scare it off."

Asriel intended for humor, something he knew would make his sibling crack a smile. His efforts made little headway. With a blank stare forward, Kris instead reached up, and wiped their forehead.

It was then that Toriel reached to their nightstand's lamp, and turned it on. She made note of their physical appearance.

"Kris, what happened to your shirt?"

Asriel shifted his attention on such, and Kris glanced down as well. True to her word, their sleepwear t-shirt had been torn at the chest area. The damage was centralized to the left portion, particularly over their heart. They looked to her.

Without skipping a beat, Toriel reached over to their nightstand, and pulled a drawer open. "Let's get you into something else," she said as she pulled out another shirt, and gently placed it on Kris' lap. They eyed it for a moment, but did nothing more.

Their mind cycled memories of the prior night, with Ralsei waking them up. _It looked like you were grabbing at your chest. You were mumbling something, too..._

They couldn't remember what they dreamt then. But they would _never_ forget what they saw now.

To Kris, their nightmare felt as though they were a fly on the wall. It was their body, of this they had no doubt, but they had no control over themself. They found it similar to their experience in the Dark World at times, where they felt their actions were not their own—that they had to fight just to hold on.

But in the Dark World, they never _completely_ lost control. They could always bring themself in, and grant mercy on those they encountered. They never hurt anyone. They were never evil, they were never heartless...

Images of the nightmare returned.

Sword in hand, rushing through the Field, looking to quench an insatiable bloodlust. It was the eventuality they feared so deeply, that drove them to anguish in the presence of their friends. They weren't able to stop themself.

Then their memories returned to the end. When they came across Ralsei, at the center of an open clearing. They could summon his features at will, the panic in his body language, the sheer terror across his face. His dread at their approach.

They couldn't bear to think of the rest. The tears returned to their eyes, and they buried their face in their hands.

Toriel and Asriel swapped concerned glances. Neither was sure how to proceed, save for watching Kris' emotions spill out. But after a spout of uncertainty, Asriel then reached his hand out once again, and gently came in contact with Kris' shoulder. He felt them tense at the contact.

"Kris, is there anything you need from us?"

They lifted their face from their palms, staring up at Asriel with sorrowful eyes. They shook their head, but a sniffle told him quite otherwise.

With a mild sigh, Asriel shifted himself closer to his sibling. Reaching over, he put his arm around their shoulder, and angled his head downward to give them a better look. They too shifted their head, and were rewarded with a kind smile.

"It's been a rough couple days, huh?"

Asriel knew quite well how to connect with his sibling, and Kris gave a slow nod. He gave them a slight squeeze, a gesture of sympathy. He felt them loosen their tense posture, even leaning into his side a bit.

"If you want to talk about it, we'll be here."

He wanted to put the offer in the open, but he had a feeling Kris wasn't to eager to say much, and he knew better than to try and push the issue. And Kris responded with another quiet nod. "Okay..." they mumbled.

Asriel shifted his arm away from Kris. With a point to the still folded t-shirt in their lap, he smiled, and they in turn closed their eyes. Without bothering to remove the old, torn garment, they slipped the fresh shirt on.

Asriel gave them a pat on the back. Though they kept their head lowered, he could see that the tears had finally ceased. Relief was palpable across his face, and with a turn to his mother, he could see she felt much of the same.

She too came nearer to Kris. And with hesitation absent, she reached forward, and took her child in her firm embrace.

"It will all be okay, my child."

Kris made no move within her arms. After a steady moment, she shrank back, and allowed them freedom of movement. They brought the collar of their new shirt to their eyes, and carefully wiped.

They took a long, deep breath. Then, without another sound, they brought themself to the edge of the bed, put their feet to the ground, and walked out the room. They stepped into the bathroom down the hall, closed the door, and locked it.

Asriel and his mother could only share yet another look to each other. It was as if a mirror had been placed between them: both wore their confusion, and sorrow to match. He closed his eyes, tilting his face away.

"What do you think is wrong? Is it their SOUL again?"

It was a question driven by fear. He knew there was no certain answer. But he wanted to hear something, _anything_ to bring his nerves to a different state, and so he sat quietly. He waited.

Toriel's lips became a thin line.

"I'm not sure, Asriel. But I have faith it will work out in the end."

As she concluded her remark, the lock down the hall clicked. With a slow trod, Kris came back into the room, and sat in the middle of their bed. They lifted their knees, and wrapped their arms around themself.

"I want to go back to sleep."

They spoke to no one in particular. But Toriel came to a slow nod, and stood. Kris' face buried in their arms, they felt a hand come to the top of their head, tenderly caressing their hair.

"If you so wish, I will leave you to your rest. I hope you have better dreams..."

Kris said nothing.

With a quiet shuffle, Toriel filed out the bedroom, and closed the door behind her. Asriel spared one final look to his sibling, and though hesitation partially stayed his hand, he too gave them a pat on the head.

"I'll be right here, okay? If you need to wake me up for something, go ahead."

At this, Kris lifted their head ever so slightly, and Asriel could see their features. Their eyes drooped, the exhaustion from their first awakening in the hospital on full display. It brought a chill to Asriel's skin.

Again they chose to remain silent.

Asriel, with sorrowful eyes, came to his feet. He returned to his side of the room, collected his pillows from the floor, and with everything returned, laid himself down. He pulled his covers up to his chin, and he stared up at the ceiling.

"It'll get better, Kris. I have faith too."

He knew they wouldn't understand what he meant. He wasn't even sure they were listening. But putting his hope in the open, for his little sibling to hear, was more than enough for him. With a shift to his side, he shut his eyes, and settled in.

From the corner of their eye, Kris watched him. When they thought he was asleep, they reached over to their nightstand, and took their phone in hand. The screen came alight, and the clock was their first object of interest: the time was 1 AM.

After unlocking, they opened their contacts, and began a new message.

 **are you awake right now**

More than a minute slipped by. And then, at the bottom of the screen, a small bubble with three dots appeared, and the recipient prepared a response.

* * *

When he awoke, the resumption of Ralsei's studies was swift.

Returned to his desk, his sole concern was of his books, and pen in hand, his record-keeping. Fervor and adrenaline propelled his reading, prior fatigue ignored. But even if he _wanted_ to, there was no chance of falling back asleep.

The nightmare was fresh in his mind. Every detail seared into memory, he found himself shivering as he read. Unprompted, bits and pieces would seemingly flash across his eyes, to relive again and again and again. He wanted to fight them down, to forget it happened, to think about _anything_ else.

But he couldn't find a way to do it. All he could visualize were those cold, red eyes.

Fear prodding his emotions, Ralsei gripped the edge of his hat. He tore it from his head. The hat fell to the ground with a dull, quiet thud, and then he eyed it for a fleeting moment.

He needed to calm down.

With a slow, thoughtful breath, he exhaled, and his shaking gradually lessened. He returned his attention to his book.

After scanning through several lines further, Ralsei finished the page. But before he flipped to the next, his eyes trickled to his notebook, and with his thumb he began to sift through pages. As he turned, his eyes caught several points he'd highlighted, and he took the time to read these over:

* * *

 _\- Damages to SOULs via internal conditions are rare, but have occurred in recorded cases._

 _\- Fresh wounds to SOULs can be aggravated; care must be taken to ensure proper treatment and healing._

 _\- In case of internal injury to the SOUL, severity usually depends on the strength of the SOUL, and a fusion of personal and environmental factors significant to the holder._

 _\- Certain conditions can render SOULs more vulnerable. A SOUL does not maintain a constant strength, there are moments where it may be weaker or stronger than usual._

 _\- In some_ _cases,_ _a SOUL that undergoes a significant, harsh change in environment could experience a strong reaction. Results can vary wildly, and it is impossible to predict._

 _\- Connections to others are important. If a SOUL has an especially strong bond with another, an injury could create a shared effect between subjects._

 _ **\- IF A SOUL IS PARTICULARLY POWERFUL, ANY AND ALL REACTIONS WILL BE STRONGER. TAKE CAUTION.**_

* * *

Kris' theory had proven correct.

There was more research to be done still, but Ralsei now knew Kris' entrance to the Dark World had caused an aggravation within their SOUL. To be pushed in a new environment so quickly, to be somewhere so _different,_ it changed something within them. It altered a part of their SOUL.

But the issues went beyond that. Just entering the Dark World wasn't enough to cause such distress. The problem was all this hatred and anger, jumbled in one place and left to fester and rot. It wasn't their natural, everyday emotions, but rather, a _reflection_ of past events in their life. A manifestation of a part of them they wanted to forget, so desperately.

Ralsei recalled their conversation in the hospital, the tears Kris shed at their admission of loneliness. How many more demons were there to fight? What _else_ could've caused their SOUL to injure itself so badly? Everything came to a head, and it was too much for Kris to bear.

And beyond the injury itself, Ralsei listed the responses Kris had to their SOUL's aggravation: restlessness, wandering aimlessly around town. The overactivity of their SOUL. Seeing _visions._

A terrible nightmare.

These were all stress reactions, caused by the turmoil afflicting them. And he didn't know what could be done to fix it. Not even his magic.

But there was more reading to be done. Ralsei again took his pen up, and flipping to a fresh page in the notebook, he prepared to take more notes as necessary. But as he began anew in his reading, a terrible chill came upon him, a feeling he just couldn't shake.

It wasn't over yet. Something else was going to happen to Kris' SOUL, something he would need to be ready for. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

 _Kris... I **will** make sure you see through this. I swear on my life._


	11. Chapter 11

The time was 7 AM when Kris decided to head out.

For the rest of the night, and into the early morning, sleep proved entirely elusive. Contrary to what they told their family, they'd made little effort to fall back asleep to begin with; even with efforts to close their eyes, and shut off their mind, their senses continued to push them into overdrive. Their mind ran a marathon and more.

A brief conversation via text also kept them awake. It took a bit of wrangling on their part, but at last, they got Susie to agree to meet them as early as possible. They settled on the lake, at the picnic tables.

Then came the matter of their mother. After a brief explanation of their desire for fresh air (and a promise to return soon), they managed to seal the deal. It wasn't easy, after the turmoil of their nightmare, but they gave it no more thought.

The sun had already risen.

Their walk down the street was brisk, and concentrated. Tunnel vision blocking their peripheral vision, Kris paid no mind to anyone, or anything else around them. But a few weird looks from the early morning passerby proved unavoidable: their slovenly, unkempt appearance stood out like a sore thumb, combined with wrinkled, loose-fitting clothes.

On their sleepless stroll, there was no room to care about such things.

Instead, Kris' hand reached for their pocket, and pulled out their phone. Nothing new. With no reaction, they returned it, and again sharpened their gaze forward. The lake was approaching, just down a short path, and past the familiar flower shop.

They kept straight ahead, without so much as a glance.

To the side of the dirt path, Kris walked to the nearest table, and plopped down on the bench. Head angled downward, they kept their eyes to their lap. Memories trickled in, of their time here before the accident; quietly, they were thankful those two in the helmets were gone. Having people nearby would make them nervous.

The footsteps behind them didn't help. Kris angled their head to the side, and from the corner of their eye, they could see someone approach.

"I know I said you could text, but did you _have_ to ask to meet this early?"

Kris said nothing, They returned their sight ahead, and away from Susie. She approached, and after a moment of standing over them, sat next to them on the bench. She spared a quick, almost uninterested glance, but what she saw evoked a double-take.

"... Kris?"

They again looked to her. "Yeah?"

"You look like hammered shit."

Kris could only chuckle, a dry, emotionless sound. They audibly exhaled. "I got some weird looks on the way here. Is it really that bad?"

"It's _terrible,"_ Susie said. "Did you get in a fight? I'll kick their ass around the block."

At this, Kris blinked, and they creased their brows to match. They shook their head. "No, not a fight... I didn't get much sleep."

"Yeah? Why?"

Susie's query was blunt, to the point. Kris responded with a slight dip of their head. "I had another nightmare. I guess I screamed loud enough to wake everyone up." They sighed. "Didn't really close my eyes again after that."

"A nightmare that had you _screaming?"_ Susie said, with incredulity. "Sounds rough. What happened?"

Kris tapped their fingers against the table surface, absently. Though their expression remained blank, they needed to gulp, tightness gripping their throat.

"I... I dreamt I went back to the Dark World. I used those doors in the forest to get there."

Though Susie suppressed a visible reaction, shock was her dominant emotion, brewing within. She glanced over her shoulder, as if the doors would appear right behind them. "Are you serious?" Disbelief dripped from her voice, and she made no attempt to hide it.

Kris nodded. She scratched the back of her head.

"You realize no one's _ever_ been able to open those, right? They've been here since the town was built."

Another nod. "Yes, I know... I felt something calling me, telling me to open the doors. Everything just clicked from there."

Susie processed this information, and ponded it with everything she already knew. This was starting to sound too eerie for her liking: Kris' vision of the forest yesterday was strange enough, but something _calling_ them to the forest? She needed to pry for more.

"Kris, was the forest anything like you saw yesterday? When it got all dark?"

"Yeah. It was the same."

To her simultaneous expectation and dread, Kris' affirmation brought a faint scowl to her face. Right hand pressed flat against the table, her other found the edge of the bench, and she gave it a stress squeeze. "They're probably connected then, huh? Your dream, and that thing."

"There's more, still."

Kris' interruption was swift, against what she anticipated them to say. Her face fell in expectancy, and she said no more. They took the opportunity to speak:

"When I went through the doors, everything felt different. I had my sword and armor back, but it felt like I wasn't even in my body. It's what I told you earlier, I didn't have any control over myself."

The chills in Susie intensified. At the hospital, when they had this conversation, Kris became quite emotional, terrified of the prospect. But now their voice was detached, monotone... emotionless. It felt nothing like before.

"... And then what?"

Kris swallowed the lump in their throat. Now they hesitated.

"I... I saw Ralsei, in the field. I attacked him."

Herr thoughts entirely failed her. She wasn't certain she heard properly.

"You—you _attacked_ Ralsei?"

Kris nodded. "I thought he was an enemy, I didn't know what else to do."

Beads of sweat accumulated at Susie's crown. A quick swipe of her forehead cast them away, but she found herself fraught well beyond this simple motion. Everything Kris described, it was sounding too real for her liking. Vivid in detail. To assuage her own concerns, she had to be completely sure.

"Kris, how about we bring Ralsei up here? He'll probably be ready to see us."

Kris said nothing, but with their hands pressed against the bench, they made themself stand. Susie mirrored the action, and with a slight shift in position, came to the side of the table and stood straight. Kris' eyes were glued to their feet.

"I don't have the school's keys. It's a weekend, isn't it?"

Kris' forgetfulness didn't sit well with Susie. Again they seemed aloof, disconnected even. She wasn't quite sure how to approach, save for the barest of replies, and so she decided to go that route.

"Yeah, it's Saturday. We could try the doors in the forest, though."

Immediately Kris shook their head. Their eyes had expanded slightly, face contorted in fear. Compared to just minutes ago, it was the furthest reaction from what she'd expected.

"I don't want to go near it. Please don't make me..."

A burst of emotion choked their voice, rendering them quiet and crackled. Their fists clenched tightly, nearly white-knuckle, they felt themself tremble where they stood. Susie felt herself awash with hesitation, and pity in equal parts. She took a step closer to them, and offered a hand on their shoulder.

"We won't then, okay? Come on, let's take a walk. You need it."

Kris nodded, with vigor. They began down the dirt path away from the lake, and after a moment of watching them, Susie went to catch up.

* * *

Their first destination was to return to Kris' home.

A little over an hour had passed since their departure, and Kris knew they would cause their mother worry if they were out for much longer. As they passed the librarby up the street to their house, they relayed this to Susie, and she crossed her arms mid-walk.

"Are we gonna stick around your house?"

Kris shook their head. "No, we'll make it quick. I'll get the key."

Susie grunted, a gesture of confirmation, but one with a bit of unhappiness mixed. She wasn't sure how smart an idea it was to go asking for the keys again, given the circumstances. They were likely to worry Ms. Toriel even further.

Nevertheless, there was little time to rethink the plan. They had arrived at Kris' house, and without pause, they yanked the front door open and stepped inside. Susie remained planted in the front yard, out of sight from those inside, but she wasn't sure whether to follow or not.

Then, a trickle of voices drifted through the doorframe. She stepped closer, straining to hear. With her best efforts—

And then, Kris' reappearance in the frame caused her to take a startled step back. They closed the door, and it was then she saw their right hand: the same key ring from yesterday, which they placed in their pocket.

"Come on."

With no more said, they proceeded down the driveway, to return to the outskirts of town. Susie again on their heels, she looked over her shoulder to the house, and then to Kris. "How'd you get those so fast?"

"They were on the counter. I just took them," they said blankly. "It was easy."

She furrowed her brows, but had no reply. She realigned her attention forward, taking stock of their travels; already they were on their way back to the school. With an inward sigh, she resigned herself to what was to come.

Neither were in a particular mood for conversation.

A short, brisk walk later, and the two stood before the doors of the school. It was approaching déjà vu for Susie, and her mind returned to the scenes of yesterday; but Kris nudged her on the arm, and procured her attention.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded. Kris went to the door handle, slid the key in the lock, and turned. The door swung wide open, and they entered the hallway. Susie followed on their heels.

Footsteps echoed from the walls, filling the empty space with sound. She had to confess, the sight of the vacant school was becoming more familiar to her than she'd expected; twice now, it was only her and a select few others. She imagined this would be far from the last time, when all this was settled once and for all.

The doors to the closet came fast upon them. Standing in front, Kris had come to a halt, and when they sensed Susie had caught up to them, they turned. "I'll just wait here, I guess," they said quietly.

"I'll be quick. We'll land in the empty classroom."

Susie brushed by Kris. With short strides, she neared the closet. She stepped inside, but just before she went to close the door, she struck one final glance to Kris. Their attention was directed to a window with a thousand yard stare, entirely inattentive.

She fell into a slight frown. She broke her own line of sight, first from closing the closet door, and then her eyes.

* * *

With experience, she knew to break her fall feet first.

With a soft thud, Susie arrived upon the surface of the Dark World. Without missing a beat, she straightened her posture, and gave a quick survey of her surroundings. The same old path she came to every time, at the very edge. Castle Town was just ahead.

Then, she lifted her hand, and made a fist. She grinned. It felt good to be back.

With liveliness, she began the walk to the castle. It would only be five or so minutes at a quick pace, and so she made it a priority to rush; she didn't want to keep anyone waiting. The spires of the castle were in view, towering over the empty town in the distance.

A few minutes later, and she stood before the gates. She reached for the latch to open.

A push against an immovable object ensued. Locked.

Annoyance creeping, Susie again closed her hand in a fist, and knocked with force. She couldn't remember the gates being sealed before, but there was no time for internal questions: mere moments later, a cough emerged from the other side.

"Who's there?"

Ralsei's voice was meek, more timid than normal. She knit her brows.

"It's me. You want to open up?"

"O-oh, Susie! I'm sorry, let me just..."

The clangs and rusty squeaks of the lock followed. The gate was brought open a sliver, enough for someone to slide through the opening; out emerged Ralsei, and Susie gave him a look-over.

He wasn't wearing his hat, and his scarf hung loosely; beneath his right arm was a notebook. More pressing, however, was that he didn't often reveal his profile unobscured, and behind his glasses she saw his drooping, exhausted eyes, slouching posture to match. He looked fatigued beyond measure.

"You too?"

Ralsei cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?" he murmured.

"You look exhausted, dude. Did you sleep much?"

"Oh... I spent most of the night studying," Ralsei said. He fought down a gaping yawn, a losing battle that enveloped a stretch of moments. "I only drifted off for a little bit."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Ralsei's eyes, planted to his feet, entered a thousand yard stare. He said nothing, and Susie felt a sinking feeling in her gut.

"... Can we step inside?"

He was reduced only to a whisper. Though she knew he couldn't see, Susie nodded, and stepping around him, she led the way inside. Entering the castle courtyard, she began toward the kitchen and living room.

A few moments later, the two arrived. Susie sat gingerly on a nearby reading chair in the corner, while Ralsei occupied the end of a couch, pressed against the opposite wall. His gaze continued to point downward, and she eyed him for a brief time.

"How did you know?"

Susie resharpened her gaze upon him. He had finally lifted his head, eyes meeting with hers. "Know what?" she asked.

"That I had a bad dream. What made you guess?"

"Well... I met with Kris, earlier today."

Ralsei's face morphed in concern, his own exhaustion temporarily forgotten. "Are they okay? What happened?"

"Kris—um, had a bad dream too," Susie said, with a hint of uncertainty. "They were pretty shaken up. I had a hunch you had the same problem."

"Did they describe the dream? Tell me everything, please."

Desperation dripped from his voice. She hesitated, questioning whether to perhaps lie; but she knew he would find out sooner or later. No sense in stalling.

"They... they said they went back to the Dark World. And they lost control of themself, like they were scared about." She decided to leave Kris' apparent attack out. But she saw Ralsei's eyes had widened, fear frozen to his features, and her own heart rate quickened.

"Did they mention me?"

Again she paused.

"... Yes. They said they attacked you, and then woke up."

Ralsei released a held breath, plain for Susie to hear. Sensing his extreme fraught, she then quickly amended: "But they didn't _want_ to hurt you, remember? They weren't able to control themself. It was just a bad dream, nothing more."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

Ralsei reached for his notebook, set flat on the couch to the side of him, and began flipping through pages. Susie watched him curiously, but chose to say no more; he stuck his thumb as he reached near the end, and read the page over.

"Susie, Kris' vision was shared between us. I was there, too."

 _"You_ were there?" she exclaimed. "How?"

"I believe it was a shared vision between us. When I went to sleep, I saw Kris attacking me as well."

His particular word choice caught her ear. "Vision?"

"Yes. I don't think it was an ordinary dream," Ralsei continued. Confusion washed over Susie's expression, and though he was bursting with ideas, he knew he needed to articulate himself better. "It felt genuine, like we were actually there."

Susie's uneasiness returned, bringing her on edge. "You're _sure_ it wasn't real, right? Like, you're still here...?"

To her immense relief, Ralsei nodded. "It was not... but it seemed that way. It's not unlike what Kris saw in the forest yesterday. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference."

At the mention of the of the forest, Susie recalled Kris' explanation of the setting; the forest was dark, as it was in yesterday

"Uh, yeah, about that. I think I know why the forest thing happened."

Anticipation settled in Ralsei's gut. "Why?" he asked, quickly.

"Remember those doors we visited, when we were looking for their SOUL? They said they used those to go to the Dark World, in the dr—vision."

Ralsei put a hand to his chin. Again he shifted his attention to his notebook, turning more pages in pursuit of relevant information. "SOULs can be shaped by their surroundings... it's curious there's another entrance to the Dark World, but I'm not surprised it's in the forest. Kris is likely very familiar with it, and their visions have been shaped to reflect that."

Leaning back into her chair, Susie crossed her arms. She pondered for a moment. "Familiar, huh? I think you might be wrong on that."

"Huh?" Ralsei furrowed his brows, but demonstrated no annoyance. "How so?"

"No one's ever opened those before. How could Kris know they would work?" Susie said. Ralsei pondered this, before coming to a shrug. "Lucky guess?"

"I'm not sure. There are several questions I'd like to ask, frankly."

At this, Susie came to her feet. "No time like the present, then. They're waiting for us now, let's go."

"Th—they're _waiting_ for us? Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

With a burst of energy entirely unforeseen to Susie, Ralsei sprinted out the living quarters of the castle. Footsteps echoed in the distance, followed by the opening, and closing, of a large wooden door.

She snickered, before heading out herself.

* * *

After retrieving his hat from his room, high in the spires of the castle, Ralsei approached Susie in the courtyard. She wore a rather bored expression, hands in her pockets, and shifted her gaze at his arrival. It was only then a certain realization popped in her head.

"Hey, should we get Lancer? He might want to come."

Ralsei pondered this for a moment. "Maybe... we'll need to use a Warp Door to reach the Card Castle. Let's hurry, we shouldn't keep Kris waiting for much longer."

True to his word, Ralsei set to a brisk walk out the courtyard, and to the gate leading to the Field of Hopes and Dreams. Susie followed close behind, and upon their entry into the purple and pink field, they set out on a quick course. From memory, Ralsei knew the nearest Warp Door was only a couple minutes away; it was probably the same door Lancer used to visit him last night.

And in time, the door came upon them. Susie looked it over, and found her attention hooked on the colorful flames, seeping beneath the crack. She turned to Ralsei. "Y'know, what's the deal with the fire and shit? Serious question."

"No idea. An unexplained mystery." Ralsei shook his head, shrug to accompany. "Let's go."

He opened the door, and held it for Susie. She stepped through, and he followed a step behind; when he closed the door, and turned himself around, he gazed out over the landscape. The Card Castle was just ahead.

With no time wasted, Ralsei and Susie proceeded through the gates. They both could distinctly remember the tight security the Spade King had kept, but such measures had been nearly abolished under Lancer; Darkners were free to visit whenever they liked, and Lightners too. Susie was quite thankful for it.

A short time later, and an elevator ride to boot (shorter than the trip from their adventure, given they had started in the dungeon), they had arrived at the throne room. The two entered, and were met with the sight of Lancer, in conversation with Rouxls Kaard. But when he sensed their presence, he turned his head, and his eyes lit up.

"SUSIE!"

Lancer sprinted for the pair, and with extended arms, he attached himself to Susie's leg in a (attempted) bone-crushing hug. A chuckle escaped her, and she reached down to give him a pat on the back.

"How're you doing, little man?"

Lancer pushed himself away, ending the brief embrace. He smiled, the same toothy grin as always. "I'm doing great! A lot better than last week." He shifted his gaze to Kaard, and offered a thumbs-up; with a bit of amusement dancing across his face, he returned the gesture. "We're planning big things for the kingdom. Things are gonna get a lot better for everyone, now that Old Dad can't mess it all up!"

Susie chuckled. "Sounds like it'll be interesting around here. Can't wait to see what you've got in store."

He nodded with vigor. Then his eyes turned to Ralsei, who'd been quietly watching the conversation unfold between his two friends; he offered a wave, and Ralsei smiled a bit.

"What brings you guys here?"

Lancer's question instilled a renewed sense of purpose within Susie. Straight to the point, she said, "We're going to the Light World again. Do you want to come?"

Lancer gave her request some thought, but after such time, he shook his head. His smile had fallen mute, a rather neutral expression taking its place. "I think I'll stay. I've already been away for a while, I should be here for everyone."

She nodded, Ralsei as well. "Yeah, I get it. We'll come visit you soon, okay?"

Another thumbs-up from Lancer, to the two of them.

"You bet! It'll be fun to have you here at the castle."

Susie grinned. With that, she turned to Ralsei, and gestured to the throne room door. "Should we get going? We'll have to use the Warp Door again."

Ralsei affirmed with a nod. But just before they left, he then looked to Lancer, and offered a kind smile. "We'll be back before long, Lancer. _All_ of us."

Lancer reciprocated the smile with his own.

* * *

The journey to the Fountain was brief.

With all loose ends taken care of, Susie and Ralsei made their way to the Warp Door with haste. From there, it was back into Castle Town, and through the courtyard to the Fountain of Darkness. Conversation was fleeting, and Ralsei didn't need to collect any supplies. All he brought was his notebook.

After the time spent traveling, the two came to the edge of the Fountain. The same blend of colors from last time permeated the scenery, the room awash with ever-changing hues. But there was little time for admiration, and Susie knew it. She tilted her head to look at Ralsei. "You ready?"

He nodded.

Susie put her fingertips over her heard. With her prior return trips to the Light World, muscle memory served to guide her: after a moment's hesitation, a small, white heart appeared in her palm. Her own SOUL. She looked it over, studying its form.

Then she held her hand out. Her SOUL began to glow. She closed her eyes, and felt Ralsei's hand come to her shoulder.

A light breeze overtook them. Susie felt herself lose her footing. She wasn't falling, just in empty space, floating along...

A loud clash against metal cabinet doors shattered the silence. A rubber duck squeaked.

"... Is it always this rough of a landing?"

Though she couldn't see Ralsei in the dark, Susie grunted. "Yep. It sucks, dude."

Ralsei said nothing more. Even in the darkness of the unused classroom, however, she could sense him stumble to his feet, and she did the same. But instead of looking for the light switch, she instead carefully went to the nearest wall, and felt around for the door. From there, she went for the handle, and opened.

Light streamed through the open doorframe. With a new frame of reference, Ralsei gained bearings of his surroundings, and came to Susie's side. She gave him a quick inspection, and saw his Dark World outfit had again been swapped for Lightner clothes.

With everything settled, she stepped into the hallway. Her eyes first found the closet, in the distance, and discovered Kris had vanished.

"Kris?"

No reply at all. With a slight frown, she began down the hall, and Ralsei trailed on her heels. She rounded the corner, eyes scanning every detail, and then snapped to the front doors.

Leaned up against the wall nearest the doors, Kris sat curled in a ball. Their face was buried in their arms, obscured to the point of non-visibility; they were entirely motionless, save for the slow roll of their breathing.

Susie and Ralsei swapped glances. Uncertainty lining both their expressions, Susie decided to approach. Kneeling at Kris' side, she gave them a slight nudge.

"Kris? You still alive?"

Kris lifted their head. Her attempt at humor was not lost on them, and a small grin adorned their lips. "No. I died of boredom."

Relief flooded through her, that Kris hadn't fallen asleep and entered a new nightmare. But she scrunched her eyebrows in annoyance all the same. "Boredom? It was only ten minutes. Or around that."

They pointed to the nearest clock, on the opposite wall. The time was a quarter past nine. Her eyes nearly burst from her skull.

"An _hour?!_ When the hell did that happen?" She shook her head. "Damn... guess we lost track of the time. Sorry, dude."

Kris shrugged. They then shifted their stare away from Susie, and moved it down the hallway. The first sight to come upon them was Ralsei, approaching with muffled footsteps. He smiled behind his scarf.

He knelt at Kris' side. Establishing eye contact, he put his hand on their shoulder.

"Hi, Kris..."

Kris was silent. All they could do was stare into Ralsei's eyes, unblinking, frozen in place.

And then, without warning, Kris lunged forward. They took Ralsei in the tightest embrace they could manage, and buried their face in his shoulder. A light gasp escaped him, but he made no effort to shy away.

He returned the hug in full.

Ralsei felt Kris shiver in his arms. It was quite similar to the hospital, when all their emotions came spilling out, and they needed him for support. Just as he did then, he knew he would be there for them. Ralsei sighed, and set to gently rubbing their back.

The hallway fell quiet.

After time untold, perhaps minutes or hours, Kris at last lifted their head, and came free of the embrace. With clarity, they took a moment to look over Ralsei's features, and he did the same.

He saw the cold, steely red eyes of the dream were nowhere to be found. All that remained was those concerned, warm eyes he always recognized, and cared for so deeply. _This_ was the Kris he knew. Not the one from the vision...

And speaking of.

"I hear we both had a rough night."

His statement was entirely unexpected to Kris, confusion emerging within them. Nevertheless, they found themself summoning a slight, dry smile, and their eyes fell to their lap. "Yeah... I had a bad dream. What about you?"

"Me too. It was the same one."

Kris felt their blood freeze. Fear swelled within them, eyes widening, and almost involuntarily, they looked up.

Ralsei showed no resentment, nor anger. Rather, he merely watched them with sympathy, and a slight, sorrowful curl of his lips. "I've done some more reading on SOULs, Kris... I have a lot I need to tell you."

Susie had watched their conversation quietly. But at this, she saw an opportunity, and stood. Both Kris and Ralsei turned their heads, and she gazed upon them. "Guys, let's get out of here and talk. Who wants to be in school?"

Irregardless of their mood, Kris couldn't contain a snort of amusement. They too came slowly to their feet, and offered a hand to Ralsei. He accepted, and again at eye level to Kris, he looked them over. A deep frown had settled on their face, and their gaze ducked his own.

"I'm sorry, Ralsei... it was a terrible dream. I didn't want to hurt you."

Ralsei shook his head. "I don't think it _was_ you, Kris. There's more at work here, factors beyond just yourself."

"Like what?"

He turned to the door. Susie had stepped outside, and the door had shut behind her.

"I'll explain when we leave. Come on."


	12. Chapter 12

At Susie's suggestion, the three decided to head to the library.

It was an ideal meeting spot to her, for a few reasons. It was quiet, so Kris and Ralsei wouldn't find themselves stressed; in their exhausted states, it would be easy to reach that point if they weren't careful. If they kept their voices down, they probably wouldn't be overheard by anyone. And, it was also in the center of town, away from the forest.

A brief walk later, the three arrived at the doors. Ralsei looked up at the sign, and studied the exterior. From the team's earlier journey around town, he'd crossed paths with this building multiple times, and it always looked like an appealing spot to linger. But something wasn't right.

"Susie, why is the sign wrong?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. Same shit as the fire in the Warp Door, probably."

Ralsei shook his head. Shifting his angle of sight, he then turned to Kris. They kept their eyes planted to their shoes, hands in their pockets, and a slight frown affixed to their lips. He could sense they were growing restless, and so he went to the doors and pushed them open.

A gust of warm air fell upon them. The library was toasty, and an inviting atmosphere to match; rows of bookshelves ran along the leftmost side of the ground floor, while the right side was adorned with tables, chairs, and other furniture. A bulletin board with drawings and other documents overlooked these tables, and the area was titled the "TEENZ-OWN." Ralsei decided to stay quiet about it.

"Oh, Kris! You _are_ alive!"

The voice was shrill, coming to the group's left. Ralsei took a curious glance over, while Susie's face darkened to an extent he had never seen before.

The remark erupted from Berdly, behind the front desk. He came closer, donning a smug expression. "I heard you'd fallen under the weather, to put it mildly. But now that you're here, it seems prudent to remind you you're 2588 days overdue, and How to Draw Dragons won't return itself."

"Not now, Berdly..."

Kris' voice was dry, fatigued to match. They continued to avert their gaze, watching the ground with fake interest. Berdly's grin only grew.

"Ah, but think of your _family,_ Kris! The crushing weight of your obligations! Your condition was only a brief pardon, and now I must—"

His voice vanished into thin air. Susie approached the front of the desk, pupils dilated, and she stared squarely at him.

"Where did you hear about Kris being in the hospital?"

Her voice was low, menacing. Beads of sweat accumulated at Berdly's forehead, and he fumbled for words. "I—well—a letter was sent home. By the school."

Susie recalled Ms. Alphys mentioning such, when she'd heard the news herself. It served to confirm he told the truth, but it still felt a lifetime ago to her.

"What's it matter to you, anyway? Just because you're partners for the project doesn't mean—"

She bared her teeth, leaning closer to match. Again Berdly's voice died in his throat.

Part of her wanted to grab the nerd by the scruff of his collar, and make sure he understood a hard, painful lesson. But she was cognizant of Kris and Ralsei behind her, and she remembered their encouragement throughout yesterday. Learning to ACT, not fight.

"It matters to me because you're giving shit to my friend. And if you _keep_ giving shit to my friend, you're gonna need the hospital for a lot longer. Got it?"

Pure fear morphed Berdly's face, eyes widened. He nodded vigorously.

Her work complete, her scowl reverted a more neutral expression. But she had to fight off a slight grin all the same; though she acknowledged it was better to avoid a fight, a little intimidation here and there wasn't the end of the world.

Susie stepped away from the front desk, and proceeded to a nearby table, behind a bookshelf and out of Berdly's sight. Kris and Ralsei followed, and the three sat down. With solitude at last, Ralsei asked: "Susie, who's that?"

 _"Berdly." S_ he made no effort to conceal her disdain. "The stuck-up little shit of our class."

Ralsei adjusted his glasses. "I will admit, he seemed a bit haughty..."

"I'd use a different word than that. I mean, he has the nerve to make fun of you for the _hospital?"_ Susie's continuing remark was directed to Kris, and they had shifted their eyes to her. "Maybe not directly, but you know what he meant."

Kris could only shrug. "I wish they hadn't sent a letter out..."

Their voice was hardly above a mumble, but Susie heard quite clearly. Her lips twitched downward.

"Look man, it'll be fine. Berdly's an asshole, but I doubt anyone else is gonna give you crap. They'll understand."

Kris put their hand over their chest, and felt their heartbeat for a short moment. "Maybe. I just hope they don't know _why_ I was put there..."

Susie agreed wholeheartedly. From even before she came to know them better, she recognized Kris wasn't the most vocal around others they weren't close with. News going around about their SOUL, though perhaps a bit far-fetched at a glance, would do no favors.

"I don't think anyone knows you were hospitalized because of your SOUL. Even the nurses didn't, remember? It was only my magic that detected it, so it should be our secret."

It was Ralsei that decided to speak. He hoped he could reassure Kris to some extent, though he wasn't certain it would work; to his relief, he saw their frustration lessen in their body language. Kris leaned back in their chair, eyes directed to the ceiling.

"Guys, what are we doing here?"

Their question was intended for no one in particular. Susie spared Ralsei a glance, and she half-expected him to answer; true to form, he set his notebook on the table.

"Kris, we need to talk about some things with your SOUL. It's important."

"Oh... yeah."

A cross expression fell upon Susie. Again Kris seemed out of it, forgetful. She looked to Ralsei, and was met with similar concerned glance. But then he turned to a page in his notebook, and put his finger on the first line of text. "Kris, I've done a lot of research. I've put all my findings in this notebook, would you like to look it over first?"

Kris shook their head. A pang of discontentment swelled within Ralsei, but he did his best to ignore it. "Very well..."

He paused. Allowing himself a moment to collect his thoughts, and read over his notes, he unearthed a gentle sigh.

"Kris, I believe your SOUL has been, for lack of a better term, _aggravated._ It has become quite restless, causing all these strange reactions."

Kris said nothing, but they had focused their attention upon Ralsei. He took it as license to continue.

"There's some research I reviewed, on the overactivity of a SOUL... everything I read seems to line up. It mentioned entering a new environment can cause a stress reaction, if it's sudden and dramatically different."

"New environment, huh?" Susie piped in. "Like, say, falling through a portal to a different world? Yeah, that fits the bill."

"But it's _more_ than that," Ralsei continued, heedless of her attempt at humor. "Different surroundings aren't enough for all this to happen. Kris, do you remember our conversation at the hospital?"

The mention was enough to bring Kris' eyes widened, beyond the drooping, exhausted state of before. They gave a lone nod, and weakly mumbled: "Yes..."

Kris' gaze ducked his own, again finding solace in their lap. Ralsei watched this with sorrowful eyes, and his lips curled in a frown.

"Kris, I think the problems with your SOUL stem from memories. It's a reflection of feelings you're trying to forget, things you're afraid of."

Ralsei knew his statement would hit Kris hard. But there was no sense in concealing anything, or trying to evade the problem altogether. They needed to hear the truth, and _only_ with the truth could the group start to devise some solutions.

If Kris' despondent sulk was any indication, it wasn't going to be easy.

"Memories... so like, things from childhood? _That's_ why I'm such a mess?"

Exasperation permeated the latter half of Kris' retort, face to match. It surprised Ralsei, and he found himself searching for the right response for longer than he'd have liked. "I mean, it's not—"

"Is this just what's going to happen now? My SOUL is going to keep getting worse, and I'm going to hallucinate, and stumble around, and have nightmares that leave me _screaming_ until I finally forget everything and go berserk? That's what'll happen?"

Susie and Ralsei found themselves at a complete loss for words. The tears were streaming freely from Kris' eyes now, their dishevelment only magnified in their frustration. They resumed.

"Look, I _know_ I'm not perfect, alright? Something I screw things up, sometimes I'm just not good enough. You guys keep telling me how strong my SOUL is, and how it's beautiful and all that crap, but _is_ it? What's so beautiful about some maniac that hurts those they care about? It's all _fucked up._ I'm nothing compared to you guys."

They turned to Susie.

"Susie, do you have any idea how _selfless_ you are? I mean, just think about this: you've considered me a friend for what, three days? Four? Yet you go and get everyone to come see me in the hospital, you hang out with us, you talk to me over the phone at _one in the morning._ You know how many people on the planet are willing to do that for a friend? I can probably count it on one finger."

She had nothing she could say. Her mind raced with a jumbled, endless sequence of thoughts.

Kris shifted to Ralsei.

"... _You're_ the perfect one here, Ralsei. You put yourself at risk to heal my SOUL. You stayed with me the entire night, in the hospital. You've spent all night studying, trying to find a solution for whatever's wrong with me. You do _everything,_ all the time, and you don't ask for anything back."

They paused..

"... It's you that's the beautiful SOUL, Ralsei. Not me."

Kris lowered their head. He could feel two pairs of eyeballs, staring intently upon them. They swallowed, and took a long, audible breath.

"You guys are the best friends I'll ever have. I wish I could repay you better than a coma, right?"

A forced, grating chuckle escaped at the end of their statement. They continued to keep their face pointed downward, away from the judging, all-seeing gazes of their friends. They closed their eyes.

"Dude, no one's asking you to be perfect."

Susie's voice was firm, more than even she expected. But she knew there was more to say, and pressed onward: "Like, you gotta realize _none_ of us are perfect. You have flaws, Ralsei has flaws, I have flaws. It is what it is, you know?"

Kris had lifted their head, with the makings of eye contact. A slight disbelief was apparent from their features, and she moved to continue.

"Listen... things have been pretty bad recently, not gonna lie. You've had some rough shit going, and it's not over yet. But all this doesn't mean we shouldn't be your _friend._ If you need a damn shoulder to cry on or whatever, we'll give you a shoulder."

Kris found themself short-charged for an answer. They shook their head, incredulity lining their features. "But I don't _give_ you anything to deserve it. You shouldn't even bother, I'm just—"

"If I showed up to your door one day, bawling my eyes out, would you let me in and try to help?"

Kris was completely thrown off by Susie's remark.

"Um... yes? What kind of a question is that?"

"Kris, I threatened to eat your face off, acted like a total asshole in the Dark World, and your answer's still yes. You think that's _common?_ I doubt Berdly over there would feel the same way."

She sighed.

"There's no point in beating yourself up, man. We're your friends, you _mean_ something to us. Just like we mean something to you... you said it yourself, right?"

Her long, spontaneous speech concluded at last, Susie allowed herself a breath. She leaned forward slightly in her chair, and firmly planted her eyes on Kris. They made no movement from where they sat, their gaze pinned to the surface of the table, and their folded hands. Even so, however, they made an attempt to work up their voice, and formulate a reply.

Ralsei beat them to the punch.

"Kris, can I just say a few things?"

The question was merely a courtesy. He was determined for them to hear him out, and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they would. But their silence beckoned to a cooperation, one he was very grateful for.

He gave himself a moment.

"Susie's right. We're your friends, and it's not any sort of burden or trouble for us to care about you. We're here because we _want_ to be, nothing's forcing us."

Ralsei paused. To his own faint surprise, a small, sorrowful smile tugged at his lips from behind his scarf, and he too sighed.

"... And like she said, we're not perfect, either. I think I understand what you're experiencing now, frankly."

At this, Kris scrunched their eyebrows, and a wave of curiosity overcame them. "How so?" they said.

"Before the fulfillment of the prophecy, I was... well, alone. No one lives in Castle Town, and I never dared to venture into the Field. All I really had for company were my books, and my own hopes and dreams. Hopes and dreams that someday, the heroes would come, and things would get better. Maybe I could even be _friends_ with you, if you'd let me..."

His voice tapered, unsteady in inflection and tone. He slipped his glasses free from his face, and gently set them on the table. The lower portion of his face remained buried in his scarf, and he blinked once. Then another.

"And my hopes and dreams were answered. I've been given the best prophecy I could ever ask for. You're both my heroes... so when my heroes need a hero _themselves,_ I'm going to do whatever it takes. Your battles are mine too, Kris. I'm going to see them through with you. I promise."

He could find nothing more to say. Quietly he slinked back in his chair, slouching in posture, desperately averting his eyes from anyone else's. He made no efforts to replace his glasses upon his face, but he needed the ends of his scarf for his eyes. He hoped Kris didn't think lesser of him, perhaps for showing weakness...

They cleared their throat.

"Ralsei, let me see the notebook."

He found himself staring at them, his fear in momentary reprieve. And from their countenance, he discovered a certain _determination_ within Kris, something that had been absent since his re-arrival. He felt his breath taken away.

Without hesitation, he slid the notebook to Kris. They took it in both hands, and began to look over the foremost page.

"... You feeling better, Kris?"

Susie's question was not without base, and Ralsei held a stake of interest in the answer. They spoke: "I don't think so, not yet. But it's important to research how to fix my SOUL, right?"

"Important? Why?"

Susie wanted only to hear what Kris had to say, why they chose to extend their words. And the answer came in sequence, first looking to her, and then Ralsei.

"So when you come to my door, bawling your eyes out... or you're sitting in Castle Town, alone and wishing for a friend, I'll be there. I _want_ to be there for you both. I still don't feel like I've done enough to deserve you guys, but..."

They ended their remarks with a shrug. They weren't sure how to finish.

Susie released a snort, and a half-smile poked through her features.

"You're right, Kris. Let's get some answers."

She pulled her chair closer to Kris' side, and Ralsei did the same. Crowded close together, Kris and Susie began to dive into the contents of the notebook, and Ralsei prepared his explanations.

* * *

Exactly two hours and fifteen minutes later, the group departed from the library.

Stepping onto the town's sidewalk, Susie unleashed a wide, encompassing yawn. She stretched, extending her arms upward, and cracking her neck side-to-side. "God damn... studying sucks. Do you actually _like_ this crap, Ralsei?"

"Um..."

She laughed, giving her friend a hearty slap on the back. Ralsei lurched forward, the wind knocked free from him. "I'm just messing with you. But seriously, being cooped up with books for hours isn't my thing. I'm glad Ms. Alphys told us we don't have to do the project."

Her secondary remark was directed to Kris, and sensing such, they looked to her. "Wait... she did?"

Susie nodded. A grin crept upon Kris' lips, one mirrored by her own.

"Where are we going next?"

Ralsei punctured the exchange, and in response, Susie kept her attention focused upon Kris. "Up to you, Kris. What's the plan?"

"Well..." Kris reached into their pocket, and dug out their cell phone. They read over the screen. "My brother offered to get hot chocolates today, at the diner. I could text him and ask if he's ready. You guys want to come?"

"Hell yeah, dude. Let's make tracks."

With the conversation at an end, the three began the walk down the road. The diner was at the other end of town, so it would be a little while; Susie led the two with a quicker pace, while Kris trailed back to send a message to Asriel. Ralsei merely kept his gaze straight, notebook buried under his arm, and let his mind free with thought and reflection.

Their time at the library, after a rocky start, proved fairly productive. He'd gone over the entirety of the notebook, and all relevant information relayed to Kris and Susie; he explained concepts and theories in detail, and pieced together causes for the stress within the SOUL.

The problem was _doing_ something about it.

In all the studies Ralsei had dug up, and documented in the notebook, few provided tangible solutions, or descriptions of resolutions. Usually, it varied. Finding out how to bring peace to Kris' SOUL, however it would happen, was something they would need to come up with themselves. A few ideas were floated, but an impromptu discussion in the library wasn't the best way to go about it.

He knew their work today wasn't done, not even close. But a little break for hot chocolate never hurt anyone.

Just as he wrapped this thought up, Ralsei felt a tug at his sweater's sleeve. He turned to Kris, and they established eye contact with him. "Yes?"

Hesitation stayed Kriis' voice. Swallowing a lump in their throat, all they could utter was a slight, pierced sigh. He waited patiently.

"Um... do you think we could talk later? Just the two of us?"

Ralsei cocked his head marginally to the side. "Of course, Kris. About what?"

Kris shook their head. "I'll tell you later. It's nothing urgent, just... soon, okay?"

Their voice was muted, hearable only by themself and Ralsei. And as they spoke, Ralsei saw Kris' face downturn, a sullen expression creasing their features. He put a hand to their shoulder. "When you're ready, Kris."

They nodded, interwoven with a breath. They returned their attention ahead, and dipped their head, face angled away. Ralsei observed this with a slight frown, but said nothing more.

A few minutes later, the three arrived at the diner. Through the windows, Ralsei could see it was (mercifully) less crowded inside than their prior visit; he was thankful for the respite.

"Is your brother in there?" Susie had come to Kris' side, and through the glass, scanned the diner's interior.

"No, he said he'll come in a few minutes. Let's go in and get a table."

Kris walked to the front doors, and opened. They held it for Susie and Ralsei, and both filed through before they themself stepped inside. Quickly they glanced around; a faint, ambient piano tune played in the background, and plenty of booths on both sides were open. They settled for one in the corner, and led the way.

Without a word spoke, Kris plopped down on the bench. Susie sat across from them, and Ralsei took a spot next to her. She grinned.

"Back here again, huh? Gotta admit, it's kinda cozy."

She looked to Ralsei as she spoke, and he gave a nod of agreement. But confusion fell upon Kris. "Have you been here before, Ralsei?"

"Yes, we came a few nights ago. It was quite a bit busier then." He decided to leave out the search for Kris' SOUL in his recap. To his mild relief, Susie deflected with her own remark.

"It's too bad Lancer isn't here, though. He paid last time."

She elicited a slight chuckle from Ralsei, and even Kris managed a slight smirk. But before she could continue, the diner's door opened, and she looked over her shoulder.

In a green and yellow sweater nearly identical to Kris', Asriel entered. His eyes fell immediately upon their booth, and he offered a kind smile. Without pause, he walked to the side of the table. "Hey! How're you guys doing?"

Mumbles of good and alright emerged from the leftmost booth seat. But Kris had chosen silence, instead turning their head to meet Asriel's eyes. With a faint smile, he slid next to them on the bench. "Did you have a good walk?"

"I told them about the nightmare. Don't bother."

"Oh... gotcha."

It was clear to Susie and Ralsei that Asriel had tried to swerve around the topic, and Kris recognized such; but there was no point in secrecy. Everyone knew what was wrong. He shifted his stare to the two of them, and asked, "What have you guys been up to this morning?"

"Research," Ralsei replied. "I did a lot of reading last night, on SOULs."

Asriel's expression darkened. "So it _is_ your SOUL again?" he asked, and his sibling nodded. "I thought we were past that..."

"So did we," Ralsei said. "But I guess my magic just wasn't strong enough. There's more that needs to be done."

"Like what?"

Ralsei slumped.

"It's anyone's guess, really. We'll have to come up with some ideas."

The answer, though truthful, wasn't one anyone wanted to hear. Asriel pressed his palms flat against the table, and stood. "We should probably do it over hot chocolate, huh? I'll go order."

Asriel stood up, off to the counter to put in a word. The prospects of the drinks brought palpable relief to all at the table, however, and quietly, it was decided among them to save the topic for after. The day was young, and there would be time.

But they didn't have forever. And Ralsei knew, as the hours dragged on, and the need for sleep approached, there was only a matter of time.

Kris would have to plunge back into the darkened forest. And he wasn't sure what would wait on the other side.


	13. Chapter 13

When the hot chocolates were finished, and conversation came to a slow halt, the decision was made to depart.

As he exited the diner, Asriel glanced over his shoulder. Kris and their friends trickled out in file, with his sibling at the end. When they were all out on the sidewalk, he revolved to them, and offered a faint smile. "Kris, I think I'm gonna head back home. Is there anything else you want to do?"

They shook their head. "Not really..."

Asriel offered a hand to their shoulder, and gave a light squeeze. "I'll see you later then, okay?"

Kris said nothing, face pointed to the ground. With a quiet, almost inward sigh, Asriel turned, and began down the road to his parked car. Susie watched this for a moment, then turned to Kris.

"You sure you don't want to go with him?"

Kris nodded. A slight frown curled Susie's lips, but she said nothing more. Ralsei took the opportunity to pipe in: "Should we return to the library, then? We could always—"

"Let's sit down over there."

Kris' interruption brought halt to Ralsei, and both he and Susie turned to where they pointed. At the end of the street, opposite the direction Asriel went, was a lone park bench, and it was entirely unoccupied. She felt words elude her tongue.

Regardless, she had no say in the matter. Kris began down the road, and she and Ralsei swapped glances. She shrugged.

Scarcely a minute later, Kris arrived at the bench. With a groan, they plopped down at the end. Ralsei took his place next to them, and Susie at the other end. The three stared forward, a row of shops and buildings their backdrop, and no cars or people in sight.

The nightmare remained planted to Kris' thoughts, stuck in rewind. They decided to get to the point.

"... What do you think would happen if I went to the doors in the forest?"

Kris' voice was quiet, only just within earshot of the others. But both heard well enough to look at them, and Ralsei needed to shift his scarf over.

"I'm not sure, Kris. It's entirely unpredictable, I can't really give you an answer."

To Ralsei's great surprise, Kris laughed. It was a dull sound, one of exasperation, and their downcast expression matched. "That's the theme of today, right? We just don't know..."

Kris took a moment. They tilted their head slightly, looking to Ralsei from their periphery, and then spoke:

"Maybe we should try it."

Ralsei's eyes widened slightly, and he swallowed the lump forming fast in his throat; though not as visible, Susie felt a similar reaction. Their conversation from earlier was not lost upon her, and she couldn't understand their change of heart.

"Kris, I _really_ don't think that's a good idea," Ralsei said. "Unpredictability isn't a good thing, I'm worried what could happen next."

He desperately hoped Kris would agree, but he discovered their attention fixed upon nothing, their face frozen, lost deep in thought. His warning fell on deaf ears.

Mere hours ago, they had expressed their disdain for approaching the doors. The thought brought a shiver to their spine. The nightmare still fresh in their mind, and they could recall their feelings quite acutely. The dread of bringing their hand forward, hesitation at the touch of cold metal. The texture of the door against their fingertips.

The warm breeze of the Field of Hopes and Dreams. And the leather sheath of their sword.

But the day's events brought about something different. Kris couldn't put their finger on it, nor could they hope to explain to their friends. But after all options were exhausted, they felt a certain _spark_ within them. They weren't even sure if it was their own, but the shift in their emotions was undeniable.

The nightmare was terrible. They _never_ wanted to think about it again. But why wait for the seemingly inevitable? Good or bad, if there were answers to be had by going to the forest, it was worth taking a chance.

"Let's do it."

Kris stood. Ralsei's mouth fell slightly open, and he tugged at Kris' sleeve. "Kris, I think you should—"

"Ralsei, my SOUL is screwed up, right? We've done all our research and talked about it, but it doesn't feel like we're any closer to a solution. It might be worth a shot."

Kris' voice dripped with resolution, but they tried their hardest to exclude annoyance at Ralsei's insistence otherwise. His melancholy expression told them they failed. With a gentle sigh, they again sat down, and looked Ralsei in the eyes. He made no attempt to shy away.

"Listen... I know the nightmare was bad, but it's not real. Okay? I'll try to keep myself under control."

Ralsei lowered his head. His face half-covered by his scarf, he closed his eyes.

"I just don't want you putting yourself in harm's way, Kris. This seems like an unnecessary risk."

"Maybe... but I think it's a risk we should take. I don't want to wake up screaming every night, and that's where we're going as things stand now. Can't we at least try?"

Ralsei said nothing, nothing vocally. But after a time of stillness, he put his hands flat against the bench, and stood.

"All right, Kris. But if something goes wrong, I'll use my magic as needed. Not to hurt you, but to stop whatever happens."

They nodded. With a look to Susie, she returned eye contact, and with no words spoken they began their trek to the forest path.

* * *

From his perch atop his throne, Lancer gazed out over the room with blank, unwavering eyes.

With the day's business settled, the castle had largely emptied, and all was still. Usually Lancer was grateful for the presence of others, and would go to great lengths to be involved in conversation; but today, he discovered a new appreciation in silence. He found himself locked in his thoughts, quiet reflections distracting him.

But then, the rustling of a door lock, and footsteps behind him brought his attention to the present. He craned his neck to look. It was his New Dad, Rouxls Kaard, standing in the doorframe with his ever-present smile, but from his eyes, Lancer could see concern. He stepped inside, and paced to Lancer's throne.

"Art thou feeling well, your Majesty?"

Lancer waved his hand. "I'm okay. Why?"

Kaard sighed. Without invite, he sat on the armrest of the throne, and looked down upon Lancer. "I admit thou don'tst appeareth to perfection. Is something on your minde?"

Now it was Lancer's turn to groan, though he kept it subtle. Sinking into his seat ever so slightly, he crossed his arms. "You know me a lot better than my Old Dad, huh?"

"A fact I taketh pride in. Would thou care for discussion?"

Lancer lowered his head. He sagged his eyelids slightly, and he allowed himself a moment to collect his thoughts.

"I guess I'm just worried about my friends. It feels like we get in a lot of trouble, I hope everything will be okay."

"Trouble? What sort?"

Lancer could only shrug. "It's kinda hard to explain... ever since we met, it's been a lot of bad things happening. Fighting Old Dad, the Clown being in the hospital, stuff like that. They don't deserve for all this to happen to them."

"Not just them, but thyself as well," Kaard said. "Thou are just as importante as the others."

His New Dad's assertiveness brought a slight chuckle to Lancer, but it wasn't for long. His expression again returning to neutral, he continued: "Yeah, you're right. But I just—I don't know if it's bad luck, but it's like we can't avoid these things happening to us. There has to be _something_ we can do, but what? Is it gonna be like this forever?"

Kaard could offer nothing immediate, save for a hand upon Lancer's head, and a ruffle. But after he took time to form his ideas, he renewed his attention on Lancer, and he looked at him with eye contact.

"Lancer, I say this as thine advisor, and your parental figure... though thou may includeth qualities of an _infuriating_ water beetle at moments, I have no doubt thine heart is pure, and intentions good. These troubles that plague you shall fade."

"How do you know?" Lancer's reply was laced not with dismissal, but only curiosity. "Can you tell me more?"

"I suppose thou can call it little moreth than a hunch. But I see no other alternative."

To Kaard's faint surprise, Lancer's reaction came in the form of a chuckle. "I kinda told Ralsei the same thing yesterday... maybe I need to listen to myself more." He hopped down from his throne, landing on his feet in perfect stride, and took a few steps forward. His back turned to Kaard, a pocket of silence overtook the room.

"... Do you think we could have something set up when they come back?"

Kaard raised an eyebrow. "Your Majesty?"

"You know, stuff ready at the castle. If we're gonna have guests soon, we should make sure there'll be fun things to do, right?"

A smile cracked across Lancer's face as he spoke. The shift in emotion palpable, Kaard too couldn't resist a wider grin, and he nodded.

"I shall scour thine cookbooks fore more recipes. Have thy ingredients prepardeth for their arrival, whenvener it mayst be."

Lancer gave an enthusiastic nod. He gave a quick thought of heading for the kitchen, but before doing so, he went to Kaard's side instead. Before Kaard could inquire, he found his voice stuffed back in his throat, from a tight hug from Lancer.

"Thanks, New Dad..."

Kaard found it difficult to resist the swell of his own positive feelings. He again put his hand on Lancer's head, and gave a comforting pat.

"Of course."

* * *

The journey to the forest path was one of observation, for Susie and Ralsei.

In the early portion, Kris seemed content to lead the way, and with a spring in their step did so to great effect. But as the forest approached, and the long lines of trees came in sight, their demeanor took a notable wither; they choose to slink back a bit, slouched posture, and slower, heavier footsteps. This was not lost upon the others, and they kept close eyes on them.

And when they arrived at the mouth of the pass, the chatter of teeth filled the empty air. Kris was shivering.

"Um, dude?" Susie came to their side, and looked them over. A pit formed in her stomach. "Maybe we should just—"

"No... we've come too far. We need to finish this."

Kris' hands balled into tight fists. They marched forward, one plodding footstep at a time, and Susie hastily followed. Ralsei chose to remain several steps behind her.

He kept himself on high alert. If need be, all spells at his disposal would be ready.

But the determined pace of Kris wasn't unyielding. The further they proceeded, the closer to the forest doors they came, the more they felt themself slow; their balance became unsteady, and at times they needed whole seconds to collect themself. Their breathing became heavy, lips dry and crackled. They blinked with rapidity.

The mound of dirt and rock holding the doors towered.

After an eternity and more, the three came to the edge of the clearing, housing the doors. Kris' agitation had spread. Susie could feel her heart pound in her chest, and silently cursed herself for her nervousness; Ralsei demonstrated nothing behind his scarf, save for wide, sharpened eyes.

Kris coughed.

"Well, here we are..."

Ralsei's voice emerged shaky, difficult to summon. Neither his companions gave a reply. All their eyes were fixed to the bunker-like structure, and only the rustling of wind and leaves for company.

Then, Kris took a step. Another.

Their senses failed with every inch closer. The forest of their nightmare welled up, casting the trees in darkness. But it mattered little, for their vision proved hazed and indistinct; everything faded in and out, in endless sequence. They closed their eyes, and reached out to balance themself on something.

There was no such support. With the buckling of their knees, they tumbled to the ground in a heap.

"KRIS!"

All fears forgotten, Susie and Ralsei sprinted to their side. She knelt, turning their still form over face-up. Their eyes remained closed, only their shallow breathing any sort of reaction.

"Kris...?"

Susie's call heralded no reply. She looked to Ralsei, and she saw only pure fear, stricken across his face. She did her best to fight it from her own.

With haste, Ralsei came to his knees, and placed his hand flat upon Kris' chest. He closed his eyes, and focused his magic on his fingertips; he checked their health, and all vitals. To his immense relief, he found all in proper order. He forged eye contact with Susie.

"They're alright... just unconscious."

Cold comfort was palpable from her. In a chilled hush, she spoke: "We should probably get out of here."

Ralsei nodded. "I knew this was a bad idea... Susie, let's wait until Kris awakens. We shouldn't try to move them while—"

His voice was severed. His sight had trickled downward, and in doing so, he saw Kris' eyes blink open.

They had turned a crimson red.

Kris brought themself upright, and came to their feet. Neither Susie nor Ralsei moved. She watched them with wide, unblinking eyes; Ralsei's fear choked his muscles, resolving him to stillness. He felt his breathing slow.

In stride, Kris walked around the back of the dirt mound, and to the front of the doors. Their balance was restored. They paid no heed to their surroundings, including the crunch of twigs and dirt as Susie stood up, and the shuffling of her footsteps.

Without pause, Kris looked forward. The doors beckoned. But Susie reached her hand to their shoulder, and Kris' arm froze in place.

"Kris—"

Her voice was torn from her throat. With quickness, Kris seized her hand, clutching with a vice-like grip. She grimaced. "God damn it dude, let go! What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _me?_ Big talk from you, I'm surprised."

They released their grip. Susie retracted her hand to her chest, and held her fingers gingerly; Kris' strength was unexpected, far greater than she'd have guessed. If the eyes were any clue, she had a feeling she knew where it came from.

But her eyes glazed over in shock all the same. They watched her with a quiet rage.

"You've got some nerve, don't you, Susie? The lockers weren't enough, now you're gonna kick my ass in the _forest,_ too?"

"The _lockers?"_ Her mind flashed to scenes of that day, shoving Kris against the wall with threats. Then she thought of just yesterday, when she gave an apology, and Kris seemed happy to accept. "What are you talking about?"

Kris' expression darkened. Their fingernails nearly dug into their palms from their tightly clenched fists, and they took a step closer to her. She instinctively took one back.

"You know, you've always been a real pain in the ass, Susie. I _know_ you hate me, but I wish you didn't think I'm stupid, too." A sickening grin spread across Kris' lips, teeth bared. "What are you even trying to do, pretending to be like this? You're only fooling yourself."

Susie was speechless. She could only continue to watch, as Kris lifted their hand, and tapped their own forehead

"Go on, then. Finish what you started. Take my face off."

She made no effort to move. Petrification gripped her. Kris cocked their head to the side, watching her with their interested, piercing red eyes.

"No? Too bad, then. I gave you a fair chance."

* * *

Ralsei had collected himself enough to stand.

The conversation from the other side of the bunker dodged his ears. His singular focus, the image seared in his memory, was of those eyes, those deep red eyes... boring into his own, staring at nothing, yet seeing everything. Those same eyes from the vision.

But this was no illusion. This was real.

Panic burst within his gut. Ralsei sensed great danger, in ways he couldn't explain. He began warming his energy pool for his magic, and hastily ran around to the doors to join Susie.

The sight before him cut him down in his tracks.

She and Kris were locked in a _battle._ Both their SOULs were plain to see, cocooned within their bodies, but only Kris' pulsed with life and energy; Susie's revealed a dull, subdued reaction, a far cry from her love for battle in the Dark World. No part of her wanted this fight.

Kris couldn't have wanted it _more_.

They had no sword. No physical weapons. But their bare hands would be more than enough, and an endless supply of energy and determination. Their SOUL was overwhelmingly powerful. Susie didn't have a chance.

Ralsei sprung forward.

Kris' attention was diverted, ignorant of his presence. With the element of surprise, Ralsei lunged, and swiveled Kris around to face him. Their eyes shot open wide, clouded glare exploding across their face. He tightly closed his eyes, fighting the desire to wither beneath their gaze.

He slammed his palm against their chest. A loud gasp erupted from Kris, the wind knocked from them. He summoned his most powerful pacify spell.

Seconds passed. And then, wordlessly, Kris crumpled to their knees. The battle ended.

Ralsei held their still form in his arms, only their breathing a reaction to contact. He wasted no time. Bringing his hand to their heart, he used his magic to check their vitals a second time, and then their SOUL.

The image before him made his blood freeze.

The wound from Kris' SOUL had reopened. Not as large as before, but assuredly prepared to spread. Dread seeped within him, gripping his senses with an iron fist. He quietly sat Kris down, against the doors, and took a place next to them. His wide, unblinking eyes gazed in the distance.

Susie made no attempt to come forward. Her eyes transfixed on the scene before her, she watched Kris' still form with unending alert. She could find no coherency in her thoughts, nothing to explain the transpired events.

And through all this, Kris remained conscious. And after a moment of heavy, uninterrupted breathing, they lifted their head to look at her. Their red eyes were gone, swapped for the concerned look she knew so much better.

"I... I just... _god."_

Kris could say nothing more, instead tilting their head back as much as possible. They closed their eyes, with only their breathing for company in their ears. The dragging of footsteps at their side interrupted the moment of reprieve.

"Kris... I want you to tell me what just happened."

Susie's tone was monotone, deathly serious. She had come to Kris' side, and they looked up to her: she stared back, her expression matching her voice. Kris felt a pang of fear within them, but fought it down as best they could.

"I told you guys I wouldn't lose control... I was wrong. It was just like the nightmare."

To their relief, Susie's stone-cold countenance swapped for a raised eyebrow, and a glance of confusion. She decided to sit next to them. "You didn't have control again?"

They nodded. "I don't know what happened, but I—I felt like I wanted revenge... that was all I could _think_ about. I wasn't going to hold back in that fight."

"You looked ready to kill me."

Her comment was made only off-hand, but Kris' face fell in terror. Turning to Ralsei, they then asked: "Ralsei, what did you do to stop the battle?"

"I used my pacify spell," he said. His voice was muffled behind his scarf, but both could hear his tone fraught with worry all the same. He could sense their pairs of eyes focused upon him, and he knew they were waiting for an explanation.

And though impromptu, he had something important.

"... Kris, I think I understand what's happening now. I really do."

Only a light, shallow breath filled the air. Kris' concentration remained steady. "What is it...?"

He allowed himself a moment to think. He borrowed bits and pieces he remembered from his research, and began to craft his explanation.

"You've been right all along. It's _not_ you in control. I have no doubt, now that I've seen it again." Their red eyes flickered in his mind, permeating his concentration, but he pushed it away as best he could. "And I don't think you would _ever_ enter a battle willingly, with intent to harm. My studies warned of stronger reactions, when a distressed SOUL is particularly potent, and it seems that's what we have... what you're suffering now is unique."

He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Kris, I think your actions are being _manipulated_ by your SOUL. Your negative emotions, your repressed memories and feelings, they're all spilling out... it's the wound I attempted to heal that's causing it. And these negative elements are in a state of conflict with the rest of your SOUL."

"Wait, in _conflict?"_ Kris exclaimed, in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"A SOUL isn't just a single, stoic body. There are many moving parts, things that shift around and change—people don't think and feel the same way forever. But what's happening in yours is a dramatic reshaping of your SOUL." He lowered his glasses as he spoke, eyes focused upon the ground. "I believe the catalyst for these negative emotions was your entrance to the Dark World, and it has only spread since then. Whatever is in your SOUL, it takes hold when you're vulnerable, and causes you to behave differently."

"Whatever's in my SOUL? Like, another _me?"_

At this, Ralsei could only shrug, in deep resignation. His face became crestfallen.

"I still don't know yet. I'd need to see it for longer..."

"But what does all this _mean,_ then?" Kris said rashly. "How do we stop my SOUL from destroying itself?"

Ralsei hesitated.

"Given these emotions manifest so aggressively, there _might_ be something we can do... I'm not sure if it'll hold up, I'll need to review my notes—"

"Please tell me."

It was a demand, not a request. Ralsei's eyes found Kris', and the determination he saw told him all he needed to know. His lips went dry.

"... When your SOUL is seized by the wound, it makes you behave violently. It wants to start a fight. I already tried healing magic, and it hasn't worked, but... maybe we should give it what it wants."

Silence overtook the three. Moments passed, and Ralsei felt his heart pound in his chest.

Then, Kris softly spoke: "Give it what it wants? You mean...?"

Ralsei closed his eyes.

"If we're to end this once and for all... I think we're going to have to fight."


	14. Chapter 14

"We... we have to fight?"

The only follow-up to Kris' quiet remark was silence. With time to do so, they looked over both Susie and Ralsei; the former remained still as a statue, her eyes glued to an imaginary spot in the distance, while the latter kept his face submerged behind his scarf. But Kris could see the exertion visible on his expression, the pain of even _suggesting_ his idea.

But they needed to be certain. Again they spoke.

"Ralsei, you're—you're serious?"

He gave a single nod, a slow, grim gesture. "I am. Kris, when your SOUL is clutched by these dark emotions, it overtakes you. My magic is only a temporary solution, we'll have to try something else... a battle might shift the tide."

His wavering, unsteady tone betrayed the content of his words. Kris locked their fingers together, and forced a deep breath.

"But... you've talked about my SOUL's power before, how much stronger it is than others. What's going to happen in a battle?"

"There's a good chance we'll get hurt, dude."

There was no attempt at humor in Susie's voice. Her blank, thousand-yard stare seconded such. Kris' attention shifted, first to her, and then Ralsei. They waited for him to speak, but they could see the fear lining his emotions. His breathing was shallow.

"No. We're not doing the fight."

Kris' voice was firm, steadfast. Again they looked to Ralsei, anticipating his response; to their mild surprise, his face went awash with a mixture of hesitancy, and disagreement. "Kris, I'm not saying it's something to rush into, but—"

"I'm _not_ going to put you guys in danger!"

Kris' voice rose, their point of emphasis piercing the still air. Great surprise was brought to both their companions, but Ralsei was the first to react. "But if we don't try this, what other choice do we have? Kris, if your SOUL is taken entirely, I can only _fear_ what you'll become!"

As soon as Ralsei's outburst erupted from his throat, he put his hand to his mouth. Kris' energy had dissipated, swapped for the subdued despondency of earlier in the day. They shook their head, eyes forlorn.

"I don't care what happens to me, as long as you're okay. I don't want you putting yourself at risk."

"Yeah? Well, it's not like we have much choice."

It was again Susie that interjected, bringing both Kris and Ralsei's attention to her. Perhaps even to her own surprise, a small, dry chuckle escaped from her.

"Kris, I get there's some danger to a battle. Whatever your SOUL's doing, it'll probably make you a lot stronger than us. But man, you think we're just gonna sit back and do _nothing_ when you're in deep shit like this? What kind of a friend is that?"

After a shrug, she rose to her feet.

"Besides, if we leave things alone, it's only gonna get worse. Right?"

Ralsei could only stare at her, with widened, unblinking eyes. But behind his scarf, a shifting of his features took place, and his gaze steeled. Determination flickered across him. He too made himself stand, and he offered his hand to Kris.

"Kris, no part of me wants this fight. But if this is a chance to attack the evil within your SOUL, perhaps we shouldn't let it slip by."

Kris could only release a sigh. They lowered their head, burying their face in their arms. In recognition of her prior haste, Susie decided to kneel next to them, and put her hand on their back.

"Kris, we're not going to be fighting _you._ But this asshole that keeps showing up, when you're visiting your friends—that dude needs to get out of here. That's all there is to it."

Now Susie tried for a joke, to lighten the mood as best she could. She had a gut feeling it was for naught, and when Kris lifted their face to look at her, her suspicions proved correct.

"... I need you to promise me something."

She waited.

"If I go crazy, and the fight starts going south, I want you to do whatever it takes. If you have to _kill me,_ then do it, but make sure you both stay safe. Understand?"

Every word dripped with solemnity. Susie felt the air sucked out of her.

"I... I can't say yes to that, Kris. It's not going to get that far—"

"You don't _know_ that! And if you aren't prepared for it, then there's no point in trying!" Again Kris' remarks emerged as panicked, and with choppy inflection to match. "We keep talking about risk, and taking chances, and doesn't this qualify? I don't even know what I'm capable of, and you don't either!"

Their tirade ceased at last, and they took a long, deep breath. Susie could only focus her stare upon them, eyes wide, but unblinking. Kris angled their face away.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know..."

Kris' voice tapered away, fading into the wind and trees. Again they pointed their face downward, away from their friends. They both looked on.

With a step forward, Ralsei quietly took a seat next to Kris, and leaned over to their side. He took them in his firm embrace, shutting his eyes; he felt them bury their head in his shoulder, and he squeezed tighter.

With a free hand, he pried his glasses free, and set them aside. He felt his own emotions coming fast, his vision blurring.

Susie could only watch the scene before her with sorrowful, pendulous eyes. She made no effort to enter their shared embrace, but rather, only to listen. Neither spoke, but an occasional sniffle or breath could be heard. They had both fallen motionless.

Until, after what felt like time untold, Kris lifted their head, and shifted their gaze to Ralsei. He returned eye contact.

"Will you be able to stop me?"

Ralsei furrowed his brows, ever so slightly. Kris took this as license to reiterate: "If everything else fails, and we have to fight, will you be able to defeat me in a battle?"

"I'm not sure, Kris. I'm sorry."

Kris said nothing. They motioned to end the embrace, moving themself from Ralsei's arms. For the first time since the casting of the pacify spell, they stood, and turned their attention to the forest ahead.

"... Are you both absolutely certain you want to do this?"

This was all Ralsei needed to hear. He too came to his feet, and faced Kris directly. He lowered his scarf.

"There is danger involved, yes... but Kris, we _will_ help free you from this." He angled his head to Susie, and she gave a firm nod.

Resolution dripped from his every word, countenance to match. He wiped any remnants of tears away, and looked Kris dead in the eyes. Their mouth fell slightly agape, this display of determination a profound shock, but after a few moments longer their eyes found their feet.

"Alright. We'll meet here tomorrow morning. At 3."

"3 AM?" Susie said, with no attempt to hide her astonishment. "Why then?"

"So my mom and Asriel won't find out. Let's just get it over with..."

It made enough sense to Susie that she allowed a nod. But afterward, she turned to Ralsei, and scratched the back of her head. "Um, listen, do you think I could go to the Dark World with you? I want to see Lancer."

"Lancer? I'm not sure that's a good idea," Ralsei said. "I don't think he should be involved."

"I know, it's probably too dangerous... I just want to talk to him, tell him what's up. Just in case something happens."

Her tone was blunt, arriving to the point with no waste. Ralsei came to agreement with her. "Very well, I suppose you're right." Then he turned to Kris. "Would you like us to stay a little longer, Kris? We could review the notebook again, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt."

Kris' expression only fell further. To Ralsei's surprise, they instead tugged at his sleeve, and chose to look him in the eyes. He returned contact.

"Do you... do you have to go back?"

Ralsei tilted his head to the side, just a touch. He creased his brows. "I could do some more research in Castle Town's library. I'm not sure what else there is to find, but maybe..."

His voice trailed off, quieter with every word. He was drawn by Kris' body language, the lowering of their head, and the sharp, pointed breaths they took. He could sense the floodgates were close to opening, and came a step closer.

His hand remained still, suspended in motion. But after a time to contemplate, he brought it to Kris' chin, and gently tilted their face upward. He gave a smile, the best he could manage.

"If you want me to stay, I'll be right here. Okay?"

Ralsei retracted his hand, and Kris could only give a nod. They turned themself away, hoping to hide the tears forming.

As Susie observed this, she could only give a quiet sigh. She decided to come a bit closer to the two, and Ralsei shifted his attention. "I'm gonna go through the school. We probably shouldn't use these doors yet."

Ralsei nodded, in full agreement. Susie then looked to Kris. "You still have those keys, dude? I'll need to borrow them."

Without a word, Kris reached into their pocket, and their hand returned with the key ring. They held it forward, and Susie motioned to accept.

But like Ralsei, her hand stopped only halfway. She saw Kris kept their face pointed downward, away from her, and honed on their feet. She instead took an extra step forward, and wrapped Kris in her arms.

They returned the gesture with hurry.

"It'll all work out, Kris. Somehow..."

Kris continued their silence, no words for a reply. But they squeezed just a bit tighter, and she gave their back a generous rub. The two held their embrace for a few moments longer.

And when Kris finally shied away, they took a lone step back, and looked her in the eyes. She in turn glanced at Ralsei.

"Ralsei, we'll meet in Castle Town, before the battle... see you guys then."

Slowly, she turned away from both, and began to walk. Away from the doors, and down the forest path. She carried a deep sulk.

And before long, she was gone. Only Kris' forced, choppy breathing served for company to Ralsei. He could see his pacify spell wasn't going to last forever.

"Kris, we should leave now. Where would you like to go?"

"Home."

They wasted no time with a reply. Giving a nod, Ralsei began quickly down the path, and gestured for Kris to follow. They did so, but with their focal point their shuffling, lead-like feet. He made no open qualms, but he hoped they'd pick up the pace.

To his relief, however, it proved unnecessary. The two safely departed the forest path, and Kris, though fatigued, maintained reasonable control of themself. But conversation was absent, and neither were willing to break the lull.

The sun was just beginning to set.

After a time of travel later, Kris and Ralsei arrived at the front porch of the Dreemurr residence. Without pause, Kris brought their hand to the door, and pushed it open. They stepped inside, and Ralsei decided to linger on the porch momentarily.

Toriel occupied the kitchen, in the early stages of dinner prep, while Asriel was nowhere to be seen. She gave them a kind smile upon their entry to the foyer.

"Hi, sweetheart. Did you receive my texts?"

Kris felt a lump form in their throat. They quickly went to check their phone, and sure enough, their mother had attempted contact at different points throughout the day. "No... I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to my phone."

"You had me a bit worried, child," she said with a sigh, "but I know you were spending time with Asriel. Did you have a good time at the diner?"

Kris gave a quick, almost hesitant nod. "Where's Asriel now?"

"He's seeing a movie, with his friends," she replied. "It's just you and I for dinner tonight."

At that, Kris craned their neck to look behind them. Ralsei touched the tips of his index fingers together, but gingerly stepped inside. Toriel caught sight of him in the doorway, and afforded another smile, albeit with hints of surprise.

"Oh, hello, Ralsei. It's nice to see you again."

"Hello, Ms. Toriel..."

He kept his voice quiet, only just within earshot. From the corner of his eye, he looked to Kris with more than a hint of desperation. They already knew what to say.

"Um, mom? Would... would it be okay if Ralsei stayed over tonight?"

"Tonight?" She raised an eyebrow, and Kris could immediately sense disapproval for the idea. "It's a school night, Kris. I'm not sure—"

 _"Please."_

Their voice morphed to a pleading tone, desperation plain. Toriel felt her voice short-circuit, as she eyed her child carefully, and even Ralsei demonstrated surprise. Kris' hands balled into tight fists at their sides, head angled downward like so many times that day.

Her mind filled with visions of the prior night, of Kris' screams from their nightmare, and their tears.

"Alright. But in the future, please give me warning ahead of time."

Kris said nothing. Rather, they again shifted their attention to Ralsei, and cocked their head in the direction of the stairs. Taking the hint, the two of them proceeded upstairs, down the hall, and to Kris' bedroom door. They opened, and stepped inside. Ralsei followed closely, and he watched Kris hop on to the side of their bed, legs dangling over the side.

After a brief pocket of silence, he joined them. The two sat motionless, for what felt like minutes, before Kris finally broke the ice.

"Remember when I asked if we could talk?"

Ralsei nodded. It was only hours ago, but to him, it seemed longer than an age. "Is that why you wanted me to stay?"

Now it was Kris' turn to nod. They gulped, forcing their emotions down enough to form speech. "Yes. It's been on my mind all day."

Ralsei neatly folded his hands together. He waited patiently, as Kris sorted through a jumbled, messy collection of thoughts and ideas. It ended with the placement of their head in their hands.

"Ralsei, why did that nightmare happen between us?"

Before anything else, Ralsei wanted to hear Kris elaborate further. "I have a few ideas, but I'm not certain. What do you think?"

Kris could only shrug. "I don't know... but I mean, why did it happen between you and me? Why didn't I see Susie, or Lancer, or anyone else?"

Ralsei had a small inkling the conversation was headed this direction. And he felt himself well prepared. He looked Kris in their eyes, and studied their slightly saddened, but anticipative expression.

"I did a bit of reading on this last night. If you recall from my notes, it's only when a SOUL is..."

He let his voice taper off, and made no attempt to recapture. A thought came to his head, and his eyes widened.

"That's it. Our SOULs are _connected!"_

With bursting energy, unseen in well over a day, Ralsei leapt to his feet, and lost deep in thought, began to pace the room. Kris could only watch, with a fair more amusement than they expected themself to have.

"It could've happened when I healed your SOUL... or perhaps, our time in the hospital. Maybe during our adventure?" He brought his hand to the top of his head. "Or maybe—"

"Ralsei, what are you even talking about?"

He blinked. Kris' face had washed over entirely in confusion, blotting out even their pertinent grief. Recognizing the silliness of his situation, Ralsei sheepishly buried his face in his scarf, but returned to the side of the bed.

Moments passed. All sense of diversion ebbed with time, and soon the atmosphere was stoic once more. And it was then that Ralsei took his chance.

"Kris... I want to confirm something. Look at this."

Without another word, Ralsei brought his fingertips to his chest. He closed his eyes, and concentrated.

Just moments later, a faint glow emerged from the spot of contact. He cupped his hands, and he held his SOUL out.

The sight evoked a faint gasp from Kris, and their mouth fell slightly agape. But Ralsei displayed no hesitancy, nor regret; they could see his seriousness on the matter, he wanted them to watch. They honed their attention.

The SOUL's glow began to intensify. Brighter it became, not to the point of discomfort, but magnified in brilliance and vibrancy. Even Ralsei felt himself engrossed by the sight.

And then, a splash of red mixed in with the light, casting the room in a new glow. Kris lowered their gaze, as did Ralsei, and their eyes found their chest. It was their _own_ SOUL, shining as bright as it had in the cage, poking through with radiance.

Without hesitation, Kris reached to their heart, and extracted their SOUL from their body. They held it forward, bringing their hand close to Ralsei's. The two sat quietly, eyes transfixed on a sight perhaps unexplainable, but more beautiful than they dreamed.

Their two SOULs became aligned.

There was no sign of the wound. It would re-emerge, at a time when Kris was most susceptible, but such a moment wasn't now: there was no weakness, no fear to be had. Not in a presence like this. It was impossible to imagine _anything_ bad, when their SOULs were together.

Ralsei knew, in that moment, there was a chance. Maybe it wouldn't be easy, but all the good within Kris was strong. Together, they might be able to vanquish this evil...

But he needed to make sure Kris understood that first.

After a final, lingering gaze, Ralsei returned his hand to his chest, and his SOUL disappeared within him. Kris did the same, and refocused their attention upon him; though still adorned with a neutral expression, there was more than a mere hint of amazement in their eyes.

"Ralsei... what was that?"

He smiled.

"It's as I thought. It seems our SOULs are intertwined."

"Intertwined? When did that happen?"

"It must've been recent, though I can't pinpoint exactly when... it's not important," Ralsei said. "Kris, our SOULs have forged a bond, made by a close connection between us. You make my SOUL stronger, and I yours."

"Close connection?"

Ralsei felt his face heat up. And behind his scarf, he mumbled: "Um... yes. When you feel especially in tune with someone, this link between SOULs can occur."

He wasn't entirely sure which he preferred, the somber atmosphere of just minutes prior, or the deathly, unending humiliation about to follow. He made a wish, for something unseen to strike him down, and spare him the embarrassment.

Kris chuckled.

"I guess I'm not surprised. I'm glad for all our friends, but—"

Ralsei had returned their gaze to them, astonishment and fear in equal measure. Kris offered a kind smile, one he hadn't seen for the whole day. Again it reminded him of their journey, what felt like an eternity ago.

"Don't tell them I said this, but I like you the best. I really do..."

Now it was Kris' turn to feel their cheeks turn a shade of pink. With nothing else to say, they angled their head away, and fought off waves of embarrassment sweeping over them. They strained to listen for Ralsei's response, to hear _anything._

And their efforts were rewarded by a slight shuffle, by their side, and the lowering of Ralsei's hat. Kris turned. He looked at them with a shy half-smile, and eyes they couldn't quite place.

"Kris, is it okay if I just—well, tell you some things? I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, so I might as well now..."

The smile faded as he progressed in speech, sadness dripping from his words. Kris felt their embarrassment evaporate, swapped with concern, and they nodded.

Ralsei gingerly lifted his glasses, and set them aside.

"I think you're wonderful, Kris. I admit I was nervous, when you and Susie first came to Castle Town, but after we began our journey, I feel like I got to know you... and these past few days, even more so.

"The SOUL has nothing to hide. It can be injured, or change over time, but it can _never_ entirely conceal the being it belongs to. And after I healed yours, I was given a close look... I know there's pain, and there's anguish. You don't want to remember the past, especially now, but it's all coming back to you."

Kris' face lowered. "You're really hitting close to home, you know..."

"But that's not _all_ that's there. Not even close. What I see in you, Kris, is someone with great love and care for their friends and family, and a strong sense of mercy and justice. No ordinary SOUL would have been able to seal the Fountain, but yours... yours is truly exceptional. _You're_ truly exceptional."

Ralsei shifted his scarf.

"... I'm sorry. I'm being silly, aren't I?" His voice emerged forced, hardly above a mumble. "If you want me to be quiet, I'll just—"

"Stop."

Blunt, and to the point. Ralsei heeded Kris' command. They paused, gathering the right words to say.

"Ralsei, I think we talk about SOULs too much. I'm tired of it. I know our bond is special, but my SOUL's still screwed up by itself, so let's set them aside."

Ralsei's confusion deepened, and this permeated his features. "Set them aside? What do you mean?"

"Well... I guess I don't think they're as important as you're making them out to be. Because you keep using my SOUL to talk about me, and maybe it _is_ a big part, but it's not everything."

A gentle, quiet exhale emerged from Kris. With a slight shift in position, they brought themself a little closer to Ralsei, and rested their hand upon his.

Their embarrassment of before was nowhere to be found.

"I wasn't kidding in the library, you know. I really, _really_ think you're amazing... maybe my SOUL is "stronger," but it doesn't matter. Yours is _every bit_ as beautiful, so don't treat me like I'm... like I'm something more special than you. I'm not."

After a light squeeze of Ralsei's hand, Kris' hold let go, and they brought their arm back to their side.

Stillness overtook the two, for a fleeting, silent moment. But then, unprompted, Ralsei leaned over, and brought Kris as close to him as he could manage. He squeezed their still form tighter, eyes closed, and resting his head upon theirs.

"We're just going to have to disagree then, because I'm not changing my mind. I think the whole world of you."

A smile spread across Kris' lips. They closed their eyes in satisfaction, and with a lean over, returned Ralsei's hug. The two sat quietly, content in the presence of each other, before Kris finally spoke:

"Um... tomorrow, do you want to spend time together? Maybe after school, we could get another hot chocolate."

Ralsei shifted his head. Inquisitiveness dominated his appearance. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. After we save my SOUL."

There was no joking in their voice. Their expression matched, and upon catching a glimpse of such, Ralsei wormed away from the embrace. He looked them in the eyes. "Kris?"

Their smile faded from their lips. But their determination persisted, and this wasn't lost on either of them. Kris spoke:

"I still don't know what's gonna happen, when we try to fix my SOUL... but I think you can do it. I believe in you."

Ralsei lowered his head, but not before a lone, dim nod. Without pause, he again reached forward to recapture Kris in his arms, and they gladly allowed such. Only their gentle breathing served as company to his ears, a sound he cherished more than he realized.

"... I'll do my best, Kris. For you."


	15. Chapter 15

The second trip to the Dark World that day was one Susie found quite somber.

The lack of company did no favors. Left with only her thoughts, she trudged down the long, dirt pathway, soon past Castle Town, and on her way to the Warp Door in the forest. Sluggishness hindered her feet, but for once, she didn't care how slow things were going; as far as she was concerned, the trip could last forever.

Then she wouldn't have to finish it.

But before long, the Warp Door was upon her. She stared blankly, as if studying details in wood grains and paint, before a step forward and hand to the doorknob sent her to the Card Castle.

Wordlessly, Susie walked to the castle elevator, and entered. She pressed the button for the throne room. The trip began, but she made no effort to lean against the wall in her signature pose; perhaps in better circumstances, but now she felt no desire. A slow frown crept across her, eyes drooping slightly.

The bell rang. The elevator doors slid open, and the passage to the throne room awaited. She exited, and walked down the hallway, footsteps echoing from the empty walls.

Upon her entry to the throne room, the noise of her arrival attracted attention from the only occupant. Lancer had been sitting quietly on his throne, staring off in the distance, but when he saw Susie come in, stars filled his eyes.

"Susie!"

With haste, Lancer hopped down from his throne, and ran across the room. He attached to Susie's leg with a great big hug, and she in turn sat herself on the ground. She ruffled the top of his head, earning a giggle from him.

"Hey, Lancer. What're you up to?"

His smile only widened. He sat himself across from her, legs crossed, and leaned back with his palms pressed to the ground. "Not much... a lot of thinking, I guess. But forget about me, you're back really soon!"

"Yeah. I just wanted to drop by."

"Are Ralsei and the Clown here?" Lancer continued. "New Dad and I got a bunch of stuff from the kitchen, we can all have a big party!"

Susie shook her head. "No, it's just me. Ralsei's still in the Light World, he'll be up there for a little while."

At this, Lancer cocked his head to the side. "He's still there? Why?"

Why. The word she dreaded to hear, and knew she had to answer. She could tell her emotions were radiating off her, as Lancer's smile had faded as well, and a slight look of concern had taken its place.

"Ralsei's still there because..."

Her voice trailed away, only for a moment, and then she chuckled. A sad, desperate laugh, something she tried to stifle, but knew there was ultimately no point. Just like there was no point in lying to her close friend.

She refocused her attention upon him. He waited.

"Lancer, Ralsei doesn't want me to say this, but I'm just gonna tell you the truth. Things aren't looking too good."

His expression only fell further, sadness quite prevalent to her. "I was scared of that... what's going on?"

"Kris' SOUL is still pretty messed up. It's kinda weird to explain, but they enter this... this different _state_ at times. Like, their eyes turn red, and they can't control their actions. Ralsei said it's their SOUL overtaking them, or some shit."

"Sounds like something from a movie," Lancer said. But he meant for no humor in his off-hand remark, and with his serious tone, she had no urge to laugh. "But that 'takeover' thingy, did that happen today?"

"Yeah. Ralsei had to use his magic to calm them down." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "But it's not gonna fix their SOUL for good. We think there's only one choice we have."

"What's that?"

She hesitated. Lancer again gave her all the time she needed, and she was quite grateful indeed.

"... Lancer, we're probably going to have to _battle_ Kris. If their SOUL wants to keep picking fights, maybe kicking its ass will do the trick."

She wanted to soften the news as best she could, throwing in an amusing conclusion. But her efforts carried little weight, as Lancer's face washed over in an equal mix of confusion, and fear.

"You're—you're going to _hurt_ the Clown?"

Her eyes shot open wide, panic setting in at the clear misunderstanding. "No! No, we're not hurting Kris. We're only fighting this... this _thing,_ that keeps taking control of them."

She decided to leave out what Kris told them to do if the battle went poorly. Nevertheless, Susie's explanation brought some level of clarity to Lancer, whose scared expression dropped guard slightly. But he still felt himself fuzzy on it all. "So, you're not fighting the Clown? Only the thing in their SOUL?"

She nodded, with vigor. "Exactly. When their eyes get red, that's when they're being controlled, and that's when we go. We're not battling Kris, we're battling something inside them."

"Sounds like you guys'll need some help, then!" Lancer shot to his feet, pointing to the open doorframe at the opposite wall. "You want me to go get my bike? I could look for some other stuff, too."

His voice was a higher pitch again, far too enthusiastic for Susie's liking. She had a feeling he didn't understand the magnitude, and given his absence from the day's events, she couldn't blame him.

But she knew he would have to, one way or another. It wasn't going to be easy for either of them.

"Lancer, I'm sorry, but you're not coming with us."

His disappointment was immediate, a frown trickling across his lips. Again he tilted his head slightly to the side, eyes fixated upon her. "Huh? Why not?"

Susie could only emit a small, nearly inward sigh. Her eyes sagged, taking interest in the floor, and ducking contact with his at whatever cost. "You'll be putting yourself in too much danger. I wanted to tell you what's happening, but you shouldn't be in the fight."

"But I've been in danger before! Don't you remember our fight against Old Dad?" He shook his head, pleading tone to match. "Susie, I need to be there."

"No. That's final."

Lancer's expression only fell further, despondency creeping up in his features. He paused for a moment, before speaking again:

"You'll need everyone on board, if it's really that risky."

"I don't care. I'm _not_ going to let you get hurt."

Her voice was low, deathly serious pair. She continued to avert her gaze, honed in on the floor, and this was not lost on Lancer. He came to her side, and plopped down to sit, legs crossed.

"The Clown is my friend too. I have a right to help if I want."

At last, Susie turned to face Lancer. The solemnity of her body language sent a chill through him.

"Lancer, I want you to listen to me carefully _._ Kris' SOUL is powerful, far more than the King, and anyone else we've faced. There is a _very real_ possibility we could get seriously hurt, or even worse, in this battle. This is _not_ something to take lightly, so I want you to—"

"Who said I'm taking this lightly?!"

His outburst brought great surprise to Susie, jamming her voice in her through with a gasp. Lancer took the opportunity to carry on. "Why do you keep treating me like I'm just a little kid? I _know_ it's not going to be easy, it never has been! But we've always found a way so far, and I know we're going to find one now!"

Lancer paused. Only the sound of his faint, shallow breathing punctured the silence, a product of his long, winded tirade. And as he reflected upon his words, he found himself deeply thankful for his conversation with his New Dad. It gave him all the confidence he needed.

And if Susie's quietness was any indication, she needed it too. He continued.

"... Susie, maybe it's going to be dangerous. But you're my friend, and so is Ralsei, and the Clown too. I _know_ I can help you guys, sitting out isn't gonna do anything."

She said nothing. With an angling of her head, she redirected her focus, away from him, and toward a blank spot on the wall. Lancer watched her still form, deep in contemplation, and chose to wait.

Then, she cleared her throat, and made herself stand. She looked upon Lancer with an expression he couldn't quite place.

"... I want you to stay behind me, okay? Don't try to be a hero."

Lancer's grin returned with a vengeance. He nodded.

"You bet! I'll go get some supplies, we'll need everything we can find."

With nothing else to be said, he took off, seemingly kicking up a trail of dust in his wake. Susie's expression went crestfallen as soon as his back was turned, and she balled her hands in tight fists. She closed her eyes.

 _God damn it..._

* * *

Dinner was only just being served when the front door opened.

With a gentle sigh, Asriel set to unzipping his jacket, and he left it on a nearby peg on the wall. When he turned in the foyer, he saw Kris seated at the table. He smiled, and while they didn't return the gesture, eye contact was established.

Then, his stare trickled to the other chair. Ralsei sat, head angled downward, face buried in his scarf and hat. Asriel knit his brows, but approached nevertheless.

"Um, hi everyone. How's it going?"

His mother gave a warm smile, and Ralsei lifted himself for a faint hello. But Kris said nothing, and Asriel felt a slight frown creep up. He took his seat at the table, across from their sibling, and then he looked to Ralsei. "What have you guys been up to today?"

Ralsei's voice caught in his throat. Hoping to avoid vocalizing such, he enabled himself a moment to find the words. "We just spent time around town. We came back here a little while ago, Kris offered to let me stay for dinner."

Asriel nodded. Ralsei snuck a glance at Kris, and could see a great deal of tension upon their features, nervous eyes batting from spot to spot on the floor.

With everyone seated at the table, the passing of dishes and bowls went around until plates were filled. Toriel and Asriel dug in without hesitation, and after prodding with his fork, Ralsei as well; on first bite and swallow, his eyes widened, and he set to work more fervently. He had forgotten how hungry he was.

Kris hadn't touched their silverware.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Toriel brought her focus to her child, their lack of interest a red flag to her. It summoned Asriel's gaze upon them as well, and Kris felt a temptation to shrink away from the attention. But they forced themself to nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

To demonstrate their lie in motion, they took their utensils in hand, and allowed a small, generous bite of their food. Toriel again smiled.

Ralsei could sense Kris' discomfort growing by the second.

He offered a sympathetic gaze, and Kris met it with saddened eyes. The two continued to stare at each other across the table, for just a moment longer.

"... Can I be excused?"

The request was unexpected, and again caused Toriel to cast a curious eye. But she nodded. "Yes, you may. But please leave your plate on the counter, I imagine you'll want to finish it later."

Kris said nothing, as they pushed their chair free, and carried their dish to the kitchen. When they set it down, they headed promptly upstairs, and to the bathroom.

Ralsei could only watch. He considered following, but a faint growl of his stomach told him there was unfinished business to settle. After asking permission, he helped himself to seconds.

* * *

Kris had barely locked the door behind them before they felt their chest heave. And only a quick first step got them to the toilet in time.

As the contents of their stomach emptied, and their gags and heavy breathing filled the air, they desperately hoped no one could hear them. The bathroom fan gave cover. And even now, with great exertion, they were deeply thankful they only vomited once, and no more.

Their hands held the sides of the toilet seat with an ironclad grip. They forced themself a moment of reprieve, and after flushing, they slowly came to their feet.

Kris then went to the sink in a hurry, and washed their face with a splash of cold water. The shock elicited no reaction, and when they felt themself clean, they stared in the mirror. A brief scan of their features.

It was still them. But for how much longer?

Kris took a step backward. With their back to the wall, they let themself slide down, and once sitting, they lifted their knees. Head angled to the ceiling, their eyes focused upon the dim lights above, humming away with white noise. They gulped. They made note of their heartbeat, pounding away in their chest, yearning for freedom in its prison.

They made an effort to calm themself, closing their eyes, and allowing only deep breaths. And after a few moments, they felt it begin to work. Their senses calmed, panic fading, nausea ebbing into nothingness.

And in this time of stillness, they had a moment to reflect.

Their bedroom conversation with Ralsei, a talk of inspiration and hope for the future, felt a million years ago. Kris knew there was no fever, or other sickness plaguing them: their nerves rested on a knife's edge, the balance carefully tipped back and forth, and this time they'd gone over.

They wanted to lie. To tell themself their safety was assured, that their SOUL would be fixed, that everything would turn out okay. But the more they put this in their head, over and over, the less believable it sounded.

They didn't know if they were ready, if they still even _wanted_ to try the fight. They doubted Ralsei knew either. Or Susie.

Did anyone?

Kris stood. Carefully, they brushed the wrinkles from their clothes, and checked the mirror one last time. With a moment's pause to stare, they reached over to the doorknob, unlocked, and stepped into the hallway.

* * *

With a loud rustling of glass and plastic bottles within, Lancer slung his drawstring bag over his shoulders.

The bag was entirely full, jutting out from his back with great size. He hoped nothing was broken inside, but he couldn't go to check; if he tried to open it, the contents would assuredly spill out in number. Better to wait for the right moment.

But it was all a part of his foolproof strategy. Every medical supply he could find in the castle had been packed, and though disorganized, at his disposal in a moment's notice. Should trouble befall his friends, he would be to their aid.

At least, at the request of Susie. She'd been very strict in her order for him to serve as support, not a fighter.

As he began the return journey to the throne room, a slight frown spread across Lancer's features. He returned to his conversation with Susie; though she eventually relented, he knew it was still her strong preference for him to remain uninvolved. But why? Couldn't she see strength in numbers would only help their cause?

 _I'm not going to let you get hurt._

His frown morphed from one of disappointment, to one of sadness. He closed his eyes, and slowed his pace.

Minutes later, and the archway serving as entrance to the throne room beckoned. He stepped inside, and briefly scanned the sight before him: Susie had taken a seat on his throne, and set to wrapping her hands with bandages. Her ax had been propped against the chair's side.

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Lancer entering. She looked up, and gave him only a blank stare. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yeah... I packed all that I could find."

She grunted, acknowledgement apparent, and resumed her task. Lancer remained rooted in place, watching her progress, and then he came closer to the throne. He pointed his line of sight downward, at his feet.

"... I can help you guys more than this, you know."

Susie said nothing. The roll of bandages came to a conclusion, and she finished up one last loose end before admiring her handiwork. Her wrists and hands were fully covered, and served as a firm grip; testing such, she stood, picked up her ax, and gave a practice swing.

"I didn't ask for it. Just stay back."

"But _why?"_ Lancer spouted. "If it's going to be such a big battle, don't you want more people with you?"

"Not if you get yourself killed."

Her voice carried no emotion. But Lancer could discern a shifting within her as she spoke, her expression falling into a deeper hole. He felt an opportunity to press further.

"Susie...?"

Her grip loosened. The ax started to slide, and then she set it flat on the ground at her feet. She approached Lancer.

He stared deeply into her eyes. An inescapable sorrow filled his sight, and his breath was taken on the spot.

"Why do you keep doing this?"

Her voice was mute, little more than a mumble. Lancer's mouth fell open, confusion transfixed. "What?"

"Why do you keep _doing_ this, when this isn't your fight? Just stay the hell out of it!"

Susie's emotions burst forth, her voice echoing from the wall with all the strength of the original. Again Lancer felt shock halt his system, and he could summon no movement. Even as she picked him up by the collar, and hoisted him close to her snarled, angered face.

"Do you not see what's going to happen, Lancer? If you get hurt, or even _killed,_ then I'll have to do that shit right back to Kris! And where the f _uck_ is that going to leave us then? What's going to be left?"

She released her grip. Lancer landed on his feet, but he made little effort to turn to her. Her hand remained fixed in the air.

"What's going to be left..."

Susie pressed her back to the wall, and slid down. She buried her head in her hands, hiding herself from Lancer's gaze, but she could feel his eyes bore into her. She contemplated telling him to leave, perhaps with a shout, but she knew she'd already done more than enough. She didn't need to ruin her friendship any further.

That is, until a small hand found her arm, and offered a comforting pat. She lifted her face. Lancer had come to her side, a sympathetic expression lining his features.

"I guess I didn't see it like that."

Susie offered no verbal reply. All she could do was reach over, and take Lancer in a tight embrace. He returned the gesture wholeheartedly.

The two remained still, for a quiet moment. But after a stretch of time long enough, Lancer decided to worm free, and again face her at her front. She released a gentle sigh, and made eye contact.

"I'm sorry, Lancer. I lost my temper."

He waved his hand in dismissal. She decided against adding more to her statement, and instead allowed him to have the next move; without sound, he took a spot by her side, and too sat against the wall.

"Are you _sure_ we're not gonna hurt the Clown?"

He wanted only to hear confirmation, a reiteration of her prior thoughts on the matter. But she could only shrug. "Maybe, maybe not... I don't even know anymore. It feels like it's all going to shit."

Lancer's eyes sagged, a tint of grief in his eyes. "I really hope not..."

A solemn expression overtook Susie. The room fell quiet once again, and in the empty space, Lancer felt a sort of awkwardness creep up. He wasn't sure what to say next, but he felt a need for _something._

"... You never answered my question, you know."

Lancer turned. Susie had refocused her attention upon him, and she waited. "Huh?"

"Lancer, you don't _have_ to put yourself in danger. That's what you're gonna be doing, if you come with us. Why?"

He could sense her dismissal of before had left, or at least faded. He decided to allow himself time to collect his thoughts, but truthfully, he knew right away what he wanted to say. And he knew she needed to hear it.

"Susie, what kind of a friend would I be if I ran away? This is something that affects _all_ of us, and all of us need to fix it. If we're gonna save the Clown, it'll be as a team... that's what we are, right?"

Lancer's eyes found his lap. His lips became a thin line.

"And I know you're really big and strong, but I'm... I'm _scared,_ okay?"

He ended his speech with resignation, after the makings of a confession. Susie knit her brows, again looking down at him. "Scared? About the fight?"

She was quite surprised when he shook his head.

"I'm scared of the same thing you are. If you get hurt, I... I don't know what I'll do..."

Lancer's voice withered, the end remark only escaping choppy and forced. He took a breath, a short gasp of sorts, and swallowed. Susie felt a wash of concern within her, and she put her hand on his shoulder. "Lancer?"

He needed to bring a finger to his eye, and wipe away more than just a couple forming tears. He continued to avert his gaze.

"You're my first real friend, Susie. I—I think I kinda see you like a big sister... can't you let me be there for you? Please?"

He ran out of words to say. He folded his hands in his lap, and closed his tearful eyes.

Susie responded first with silence. And then, with a shift in positioning, she reached over, and took Lancer in a second hug. With a bit tighter of a squeeze this time.

Lancer gasped. He looked up to the best of his ability, and saw her eyes closed, head angled downward. He wasn't sure, but he thought there might have been crying of her own, only just beginning.

"If I'm your big sister, I guess that makes you my little brother, doesn't it? Something like that..."

She chuckled. Her lips curved upward, her first sincere grin that night.

"... I'll be there for you, okay? Just like you'll be for me."

Lancer could only smile.


	16. Chapter 16

As the evening carried on, Asriel was the first to phone it in for bed.

Upon learning of Ralsei's overnight stay, the idea made a great deal of sense to him: after the terrible nightmares Kris suffered last night, he could understand their desire to have a close friend nearby. Accommodations were made in the living room, pillows and blankets prepared for the sofa.

As all this happened, Ralsei offered his best smile, and many thanks. It dug into his skin, knowing it was all for a lie.

More time passed. But soon enough, when the clock dragged past eleven, Toriel offered a yawn. She turned to Kris, and gave them a warm smile, but with seriousness in equal measure. "Kris, don't stay up much longer, alright? You have school tomorrow."

Kris could only offer a lone nod, eyes averted. Toriel felt her lips morph into a tiny frown, but raised no more on the matter. She instead focused upon Ralsei, and gave a nod. "Good night, to you both. Rest well."

Ralsei mumbled a similar sentiment, and Kris said nothing. Toriel shifted, beginning her ascent up the stairs, and both could hear her door open and close from the living room. Ralsei waited a moment, before acknowledging Kris.

"Are you going to try and sleep at all?"

They shook their head. "I don't want to risk it. My nightmare would probably be worse than before."

Though he agreed with their logic, their word choice brought a saddened slump to his posture. He slowly went to the end of the couch, where Kris had placed themself for nearly all evening, and hopped up to sit next to them.

His eyes trickled to the oven clock in the kitchen. 11:03. Three minutes closer.

"... I'm sorry."

To Ralsei's faint surprise, his statement evoked a reaction from Kris, in the form of a glance from the corner of their eye. He could tell they were waiting for him to elaborate. "Kris, if my magic were stronger, I might've been able to do more for your SOUL. I hope you can forgive me..."

Kris returned their stare to the wall. "Don't bother," they said, with an arid, flat voice. "It's not worth thinking about."

Ralsei cast his eyes downward, to focus on his ever-shifting feet, and the grains of the floor. But a rustle to his side again diverted him, and he watched Kris stand up. They went to the kitchen, a slow, plodding process, and reached for the refrigerator; they pulled out the water jug, and from a nearby cabinet, a glass.

"Do you want anything? I think we have some leftovers."

Ralsei realized only after a few seconds that the question was for him. "Um, no thanks... I had plenty for dinner."

"That's good."

The memory wasn't lost upon Ralsei, of Kris' quick departure from the table. "Are you feeling alright, Kris? Physically, I mean."

Again they shook their head, and their blank stare began to shift downward. "Not really... I was throwing up earlier."

Sympathy came over Ralsei with a bombshell. He watched Kris gulp down their cup of water in one go, and then slam it on the counter with a bit more force than needed for glass. They took a deep gasp, and allowed themself a moment.

Rising from the couch, Ralsei approached, and offered a generous hand on Kris' back. They failed to return the gesture.

"Some last meal huh? A cup of water. I hope yours was better."

Last meal. That didn't sit right with Ralsei.

"Don't sound so morbid. It won't do us any good."

He surprised even himself with his assertiveness, but he knew it was necessary. Kris responded with only a shrug, and a glance away from Ralsei. "It's kind of hard not to. I feel like we're waiting for an execution."

They spoke in a harsh mumble, just above a whisper. Without pause, they proceeded back into the living room, and retook their place at the sofa's end; Ralsei followed them, but chose to remain standing. Distress had settled upon his features, but with his best efforts to calm himself, he aimed his attention squarely in Kris' direction.

"Kris, this isn't going to be an execution. No one's going to die."

Kris brought their hands together, folded tightly in their lap. They squeezed, an attempt to de-stress in some capacity, and found no success. "You don't know for sure... what if I get too powerful? If I go berserk and you can't stop me, then—"

"It's not going to get that far. Your SOUL will be formidable, but somehow, some way, we _will_ succeed. I know we will."

With his interruption for emphasis, Ralsei tried as hard as he could to project confidence. Kris revealed nothing in their body language.

"... What's going to happen in our fight? Do you have any ideas?"

With mere moments of thought and reflection, Ralsei's conviction faltered. He went to the nearest reading chair, and slumped.

"Do you recall our fight against the Spade King?" Kris nodded, and Ralsei pursed his lips. "I imagine it'll be similar... but the longer the battle is dragged out, the more unpredictable it becomes. And without you as party leader, Susie and I will be limited."

"Are you going to try to ACT?"

Ralsei exhaled, a quiet breath heard only by himself. "I'm not sure, but we'll have to figure it out quickly. We won't get a second chance."

Kris' features again turned somber, their eyes turning to their feet. Ralsei's sharp gaze could detect every shift of their emotions, and he couldn't bear to sit by and watch any longer.

"Kris, what happened to the confidence you had? Why have you—"

"Because I'm _scared,_ Ralsei!"

Kris' tone was stark, voice heightened irregardless of the quiet atmosphere. It brought immediate pause to Ralsei's thoughts, and Kris leapt on the chance to continue. "I know I might've seemed better earlier, but it's just... these past few hours, I can't stop thinking. I can't stop thinking about myself, and you, and Susie, and Lancer, and my family, and everything else—even with everyone's help, what's it going to cost to fix my SOUL? How far will we have to go?"

Kris balled their hand into a fist.

"I don't think we should do it anymore... Ralsei, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. I barely can _now."_

Kris' speech came to a halt at last, as they sank further into the couch. They focused their stare upon Ralsei, gauging his body language for a reaction; though he kept his own gaze averted, he revealed nothing behind his scarf.

That is, until he rose to his feet. And with a firm march, he went to the foot of the couch, and came to Kris' eye level.

"Kris... I _know_ there's going to be risk. We've discussed this before, at great length. Perhaps there's a chance I get hurt, or Susie, or even yourself. But to predetermine yourself to such, it only ensures it'll happen."

Ralsei reached his hand forward, and gave Kris' shoulder a gentle squeeze. They responded with eye contact, staring deep into his own features. Determination was plain for them to see, conviction firm in every word.

Then, he spoke again:

"Even if it were just me, I would tell you to go ahead. I don't know what we'll have to do in a battle, but your suffering shouldn't continue... and if this is a chance to end this, we _need_ to take it. Don't even bother worrying about me, all right?"

Ralsei knew he'd toed the line too close with his closing remark. And the crossness of Kris' appearance proved as much.

"You know I can't do that. I can _never_ do that..."

Kris' voice faded away, gone into a new pocket of silence. They decided to let their body language do the rest of the work, with a lean forward, and one more hug to share with the one that meant so much to them.

Ralsei felt just the same. The tears streaming from his eyes, and Kris' too, were all the proof he needed.

There was nothing left for either to say. Both knew this. All that remained was to spend these last, fleeting hours in each other's presence, silent in words, but not their emotions. This outburst of anxiety, of remorse, of cherish—it was all they could manage, and neither dared venture otherwise.

But Ralsei could sense the feelings within Kris. Their SOUL was alight, filled with all their love and care. And in equal measure, their fight inside against hate and anger. The outcome was uncertain, a balance resting on a razor's edge.

And in that moment, he knew there was one final point for him to present.

Ralsei wiped away his last few tears, lifting his glasses from his face in the process. To give him room to maneuver, Kris ended their embrace, instead curling themself in a ball and staring forward. But Ralsei let forth a small, rather warm chuckle, and earned Kris' attention.

"I have to admit... life after the prophecy hasn't been quite what I expected."

Kris' confusion only deepened, brows creased. "What do you mean?"

"I think—well, I'll put it another way. I have the best friends I could ever ask for, and I'm sitting here with the most beautiful SOUL on the planet. But after our battle with the King, shouldn't things be better than this? I guess I was expecting perfection, and it hasn't happened."

Kris could offer nothing to assuage his concerns. "I don't think things will _ever_ be perfect..."

Perfect. The key word perked Ralsei's ears, the spark that sent a rush of thoughts to his head, and words to the tip of his tongue. He continued:

"... You're right. It's like Susie said, there's no such thing as perfect. Not even a prophecy is without flaws, or bumps in the road."

He paused.

"But... I think this is what makes us stronger, Kris. Life's _not_ perfect, but with every obstacle we overcome, every creature we spare, every SOUL we heal—I think the bond between us grows. You saw what happened with our SOULs together."

Kris could only purse their lips, continually keeping their focus away from Ralsei. He offered a miniature, almost hesitant half-smile, and wrapped his arms around himself.

"It's not going to be easy... but I believe we'll get past this. We will."

Kris demonstrated no reaction. With a small, inaudible sigh, Ralsei straightened his posture, and leaned his head back slightly.

Time was running short.

* * *

With an idle eye cast to the clock, Susie kept her groan in check to herself. A few times, she'd found temptation to doze off, and take a quick power nap, but she fought her drowsiness anyway; she wasn't much in the mood for a terrible dream, and then to wake in a cold sweat.

And beyond any doubt, she knew it would happen.

Grimacing from sudden limberness, she instead came to her feet, and motioned to stretch. She then redirected her stare to the throne, in the center of the room. "Hey, Lanc—"

She cut her voice at once, and was careful for no more sound to emerge. She discovered Lancer hadn't followed her line of thinking, and sat fast asleep upon his throne, head propped against the armrest.

With a quiet, careful step forward, Susie walked to the front of the throne. Her eyes came upon Lancer's features, and she felt a palpable relief at the scene before her: there was no torment, no fear or anguish visible from his body language. His slumber was peaceful.

A thin smile broke across her lips. She decided to leave well enough alone, and return to her position by the wall. She sat down, lifted her knees, and wrapped her arms around for support.

There wasn't much point in reflection. She'd already done _plenty_ of that. In truth, a part of her wished to just get on with it, and be done: every minute felt an eternity, waiting for the inevitable to come.

And whether or not it was the end, she had no idea.

From the center of the room, a stirring brought interruption to her thoughts, and she shifted her attention front and center. Lancer had awoken, and he positioned himself upright upon the throne. He set to rubbing the grogginess from his eyes away, and in this time, Susie again stood and approached.

"Hey. Did you sleep well?"

"Huh?" Lancer paused momentarily, allowing himself to take stock. Memories of just hours before came rushing back to him, and quickly his sleepiness was cast aside. "Oh, um, yeah. I think so."

She again offered a smile, but more hesitant than earlier. She could tell his rest might have not been as tranquil as she had presumed, but before she could remark, he beat her to the punch.

"How much time is left?"

He was muted, the excited normalcy of his voice all but absent. Susie again looked to the clock, and saw ten minutes had gone by. 2:10 AM.

"We've got a little less than an hour."

Lancer nodded. With a slight grimace, he stepped down from his throne, and took two steps forward. His eyes shifted about, unfocused and drifting, before finally settling on the doorframe. "Where are we going for the battle?"

"We have to meet Ralsei in Castle Town. He'll know where to go from there."

Lancer nodded. He too stole a glimpse of the clock on the wall, and he thought it prudent to ask: "Should we just leave now?

"Yes."

She spoke without hesitation, nor regret. She saw no further use in waiting around the castle, and a chance to get moving might help calm her nerves. She had a hunch Lancer felt the same way.

He took his drawstring bag in his hands, and slipped it on.

"Let's go, then."

Susie went to her spot by the wall, and retrieved her ax. Leaning it against her shoulder, she led the way out the door, and Lancer followed on her heels. But it was only after their entrance in the elevator, and the beginning of its descent, that she remembered. "Hey, did you tell Rouxls Kaard where we're going?"

"No... I didn't want to worry him." The words came quietly, difficult to hear above the elevator's whir. A frown creased Susie's lips, but she didn't respond. The ring of the bell, and the opening of the elevator doors rendered it unnecessary.

The two stepped out the elevator, walked beyond the gates of the castle, and onto the outskirts of the property. This time, it was Lancer that led the way, and the Warp Door wasn't far.

Mere minutes later, and they stood before the familiar bedroom door. She glanced down at Lancer, and he up to her.

With nothing said, she reached for the doorknob, and pushed open.

* * *

"You should go now."

Wordlessly, Ralsei's eyes trickled over to the nearby clock, and carefully looked over the numbers. 2:31 AM.

The time was at hand.

He could feel his legs lose their strength, trembling faintly as he brought himself up from the reading chair. His heart pounded in his chest, beads of sweat accumulating at his forehead. His breath was loose, little rhythm or structure to his body language.

He motioned to say something. Anything at all. But his own fear gripped his throat, wrapped tight and unrelenting.

Kris had already come to their feet. And before Ralsei could sit back down, and attempt to calm himself enough for coherency, they had already wrapped him in a tight hug. He returned the embrace with fervor, holding them as close as he could. Like they'd disappear should he fail.

He wasn't entirely sure they _wouldn't._

"I'll be there soon. You go ahead of me, okay?"

Kris' voice was soft, with more care and emotion than he'd heard since their talk earlier in the day. And in this, Ralsei felt himself steady just a bit more, his fear kept in check, and he found his words once more. "I—I will. I'll see you soon, Kris..."

Kris moved free from Ralsei's arms. But as they turned themself away, to hide their own burgeoning sorrow rushing to them, they felt his hand upon their arm. They looked him in the eyes, and they saw only heartbreak.

"And when I see you again, it'll be _you._ Understand?"

Kris' wide, glassy eyes told Ralsei all he needed to know. He took their hand in his own and squeezed, with a desperate hope to communicate everything in his head. All his jumbled thoughts, his promises, his worries, his fears. Fears that this would be the final time, no matter what he, or anyone else could do.

All he managed was a lone goodbye. And after bringing a sleeve to their eyes, Kris offered the same.

A stillness overcame Ralsei, for just a few moments longer. But when he brought himself to move at last, he took just a few steps forward, and walked to the front door. He opened.

Chilled night air, coupled with wind, assaulted his senses from the start. He didn't care. But just before he left, he spared one final look inside the house.

Kris had retaken their spot on the couch. Their face buried in their hands, Ralsei could see them sobbing. It was like nothing he'd seen before.

The tears were fast for his own eyes. With a choked gasp, he shut the door.

* * *

"When's he going to get here?"

As Lancer spoke, he fiddled with the strings of his bag, but made effort to avoid rustling the contents. Susie idled, her eyes glazed over with little focus, because a blink brought her back to reality. She cleared her throat. "I told him we'd meet here, before the fight... it shouldn't be long now."

Lancer sighed. To his dismay, Castle Town's courtyard offered no method of telling the time; it was left only to his best guess, and he wondered if it was already past three. He opened his mouth to speak.

The words never came.

The rusty, loud clangor of the gate brought Susie's attention forward, and his as well. The castle's door pushed open, and a green-clad figure, face hidden by hat and scarf, came inside.

When Ralsei walked a bit closer, she examined him.

"You okay?"

She already knew the answer. And he offered no direct reply, his gaze shifting from different spots in the distance, before finally settling on Lancer. Disapproval flickered across his features.

"Lancer? Why are you here?"

A frown spread across Lancer's face. He avoided eye contact, honing his attention on his feet. "I'm here to help you, Ralsei. I _want_ to help you."

Ralsei again opened his mouth, refutes on the tip of his tongue. But before he could express such, Susie decided to jump in. "Ralsei, we talked it over a bunch before you came... we'll make it work. If we have a larger team, we can all protect each other, right?"

It only took a moment of pondering for Ralsei's concerns to ebb. Though he still would've preferred Lancer to remain back, there was no stopping him now that he was committed. And she had a point.

He wouldn't let harm befall Lancer. Nor Susie.

"Alright. Let's go."

He turned, and began back toward the gate. Surprise flashed along Susie's features, at his willingness to drop the matter so quickly: she spared a glance to Lancer, and himself to her. He could only offer a light shrug.

Then, they moved to follow his lead. Susie took her ax in hand, and Lancer his bag.

* * *

The earliest hours of the morning cast the town in a strange aura.

The streets were dark, a product of cloud cover blotting out the moon. Only street lamps gave a dim illumination to the sidewalks, an evenly stretched row of lights. But lights or no lights, the emptiness of the town was plain to see: cars, pedestrians, and the hubbub of the day's commotion were dormant, resting snugly in homes and apartments. In a few hours, the sun would rise, people with it, and a new morning would begin.

But for a lone shadow, stalking the roadside with laborious pace, the day was already over. And then some.

Even now, as their solemn march continued, Kris couldn't help but wonder what they looked like. Roaming the streets alone, in the earliest hours of the morning, was liable to stir anxiety. They were thankful no one was around to interrupt.

Not that it would have mattered.

The library was behind them, and the town hall coming soon. Beyond that, all that remained was a stretch of trees, of dirt, of gravel, and an unusual set of metal doors. To some, they meant little, but only Kris and their closest friends knew the truth: on the outskirts of town, out of sight and out of mind, was a place unlike any other. A place of memories, and adventure.

Kris wanted to run away, as far as they could get. But there was no turning back now.

The street came to an end, and with it, the light scattered lamps provided. The pathway was cast in darkness, unassailable to the eye. Kris hesitated. No amount of adjustment would let their eyes see inside. When they stepped through, everything would be set in motion.

They would lose control. They would go through the doors. And in the Dark World, they would hunt their friends with bloodlust.

And it was _all by design._

Kris felt shivers, and goosebumps erupted along their skin. They grimaced, tensing their muscles, and fought to steel their resolve. There was no room for fear, not when they were so close. With every ounce of determination they could muster, they wanted to bring their foot forward.

Kris seemed to feel their heart stop. They let loose a single, drawn out breath.

 _Now..._

Kris took a step. Their foot landed upon soft dirt and pebble. With their hands balled into fists, and arms hanging limply from their sides, they began the walk down the forest path.

* * *

"This is it?"

Susie sharpened her gaze, staring out at the scene before her with attentive, unblinking eyes. Ralsei lingered, his mind stuck in neutral, but after a moment he softly mumbled: "Yes... this is where I saw Kris, in our shared vision."

"It's a little far from the path. I'm not surprised we missed it."

Susie took the chance to look around. It was just as Ralsei described: an enormous, circular clearing, surrounded by forestry, but barren within. In here, there would be no interference, nor interruption.

A perfect spot for a battle.

"So the Clown's going to find us here?"

Lancer's inquiry broke the silence. With only a side glance spared, Ralsei nodded once. "The doors in the Light World lead to this spot. I came through them myself."

Ralsei said no more. He closed his eyes, and set to concentrating his magic pool.

The moment was upon them. Susie tightened her grip on her ax, and perched it upon her shoulder. Lancer slipped his bag free from his shoulders, and opened it. A jumbled mess of bottles, bandage rolls, and healing items awaited, and he held a few of them up. Ralsei had reopened his eyes, and he gave a nod.

"I'm glad you have those, they can supplement my healing magic. Did you bring—"

A snap.

It was unmistakable. The sound of a twig, breaking in two in the distance. Susie's eyes shot open wide, her heart rate bursting forth with rapid fervor. Lancer's mouth fell open, breath caught in his lungs.

Ralsei could only stare forward. Exactly at the spot.

An assortment of footsteps, and rustling of branches and thickets filled the air. The sounds became louder, little by little, as they came closer. None could stand to tear their eyes away.

And then, a figure stepped free from the congestion of the trees, and into the open clearing. Ralsei's eyes darted over them.

It was the vision all over again. A pointed glare from red eyes sealed it.

A wide-eyed, horrid grin tore across Kris' lips. They laughed, a guttural sound none could recall from them before, and then they held their sword in a battle stance.

"All three of you, huh? Isn't that interesting..."

Ralsei swallowed.

"Lancer, Susie?"

He had both their attention. He shifted his own squarely upon Kris.

"Be ready for anything. Here we go."


	17. Chapter 17

At the battle's outset, Ralsei came to realize the difference between commander and follower.

Throughout their adventure, Kris had been the undisputed leader of the party. Their only command had been to ACT, but a great deal of micromanagement on their part kept things running smoothly. When to spare, when to use magic, when to heal. He always imagined it was difficult to juggle, and quietly, was thankful Kris was so skilled at adapting to the team's needs.

But now, Kris stood not _beside_ him, but opposite. And it fell on his shoulders to navigate his team through the stormy waters ahead.

"Ralsei, what do we do?"

As she spoke, Susie snuck a glance at Ralsei, but nothing further. She knew she needed her attention focused on Kris.

To be caught off guard would be a death sentence.

Ralsei said nothing to her initial inquiry, withholding a hasty reaction. He analyzed his options carefully. To rush headfirst in attack, from his vantage, seemed foolish: Kris' features and body language harkened to a sense of anticipation, that they _wanted_ him to strike first. And his magic wasn't nearly ready yet.

The choice was clear.

"Susie, Lancer! Defend!"

Susie crossed her arms in front of her, and Lancer mirrored. Ralsei covered himself with his scarf. And as they braced, a berserk laughter tore through the air. The red in Kris' eyes intensified.

"Are you scared already? Come now, we haven't even _started_ yet!"

All three members of the party became targets. Their collective SOULs were housed in a box, that Ralsei recognized as the bullet board. "Get ready! Here it—"

He never had the opportunity to finish.

Brilliant white streaks ripped across the board, with no clear pattern, but focused upon their SOULs. Ralsei ducked and weaved, adrenaline guiding his movements; he could _feel_ the air from sword swings, whipping about in places he rolled from just in time. Exhaustion crept, his breathing turning heavy...

And then, as quickly as it began, the attack ended.

Ralsei came to his feet. He fought his throbbing heart beat, and struggled to calm his frantic pulse. But he shoved his own concerns aside, just for a moment, and checked over his party: to his relief, Lancer had dodged all attacks. He too looked exhausted, but otherwise okay.

Then he saw Susie. Panic exploded within him.

She had taken a direct hit. She had fallen to her knees, and cradled her left arm. She'd dropped her ax.

Her hit points were cut in half.

"S-Susie! Are you okay?!"

Fear was palpable in Lancer's voice, his eyes wide to match. Susie forced herself to stand, putting on her best show of courage, but the pained grimace was unmistakable. "I—I'll be alright... just a lucky shot."

She spoke with a harsh glare, an attempt to steel herself. But she could feel herself trembling, and stabs of pain in her arm did her no favors. She clenched her teeth.

Kris laughed yet again.

"Wow, that looks like it hurts! Please know I meant for it."

Every word was laced with mockery. Ralsei felt his breath taken, terror casting his form in perfect stillness.

From their battle before, none of the King's attacks came anywhere _near_ the strength of Kris'. Ralsei could recall his chain-like grab: powerful, but nothing they couldn't withstand. It was simply a matter of outlasting their opponent.

But with just one blow, Kris shattered his every expectation. Defense alone wasn't enough—if the team couldn't dodge Kris' attacks, the outcome was sealed already.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. He checked his magic pool, and found he'd worked up enough.

"Lancer, I'm going to use a Heal Prayer. Will you be able to avoid Kris' strike again?"

He nodded. "No problem! Don't worry about me, just make sure she'll be okay!"

Ralsei put his hands together, and tightly closed his eyes. Focusing his magic within, he directed his spell toward Susie. Steadily, her HP bar rose, and her labored, pained breathing came to a calmer state.

He wasn't able to fully heal her, but she was in a better spot. She recollected her ax.

Kris huffed, amusement mixed with disapproval. "Wasting your turn on _that?_ Come on, Ralsei, she's just dead weight! You said so yourself, remember?"

Ralsei felt his voice catch in his throat. The memory rushed to him.

 _Not to downplay your contributions, but... you... didn't actually help at all. You only made everything WORSE._

Twinges of remorse, and regret struck him in equal measure. In his moment of distraction, his guard dropped.

It was all the opening Kris needed.

Their attack came in waves, streaking across the bullet board with furor. Shaken from his thoughts with violence, Ralsei dove out of the way, and Susie imitated. Lancer did his best to evade.

This time, the attack lasted only a few seconds. Everyone emerged unscathed.

Disappointment flashed across Kris' face, disgust in balance. "Damn... I went too easy." They shrugged. Then, they lifted their free hand, and pointed to themself. "No excuses now. Give me your best shot, come on!"

Ralsei felt a deep chill in his spine. Nothing about Kris' actions made sense—unpredictability was his greatest fear for this battle, and it was coming in bunches. Was it a trap to lure them in? Did they actually _want_ to get hurt?

His confidence dropped with every passing moment. Muteness paralyzed him, unable to command his team. He could feel Lancer waiting, nervous anticipation breaching his body language, but all Ralsei could offer was a desperate, half-measure gasp.

Susie took the lead.

"Who the _hell_ are you?!"

They furrowed their brows. "Me? You know damn well, Susie. I'm just a freak named Kris."

"Don't put their name in your mouth."

She spoke every word with conviction, scowl to match. The anger in Kris' eyes continued to build.

"You're not Kris at all, are you? You're just a damn imposter." Susie paused, studying their form with prying eyes, and then she took the chance to continue. "The Kris _I_ know is nothing like you. You don't even try to hide it."

"The Kris you know, huh? That's funny."

The tightened their grip on their sword. They pointed the blade at Susie.

"I know thinking isn't a strength of yours, so I'll use small words: I _am_ Kris. Perhaps I'm a little different now, but what you see here is what's always been in my SOUL. A SOUL you all helped shape!"

Kris turned their eyes to Ralsei. It took every ounce of courage he could muster to stand tall.

"I have to admit, Ralsei, you're more perceptive than I thought. Talking about emotions, and memories, and digging up the past—you hit the nail on the head. I'll spare you the details and sob crap, but you've seen my SOUL. It's wounded."

Derision in their voice was plain to hear. Then they shifted to Susie.

"So when _pieces of shit_ like you keep piling on, what right do you have to call me the problem? Look at yourself sometime. You're no better than I am!"

Back to Ralsei.

"It's a real sweet act you've got going, Ralsei. You're not fooling anyone, but at least you try."

The corners of their lips again turned upward. They took Lancer firmly in their sight.

"... And you. You're going to be just like your dad."

Lancer's gut fell with the weight of a thousand tons. His mouth fell open wide, eyes glassy and unfocused. His throat produced only a faint sound, something indescribable to his teammates, and nothing more.

Fear left him motionless. And he could force nothing, even as Kris charged forward, sword in hand.

Ralsei could see their strategy. Not a full, frontal assault like before, but picking off an easy target. He prepared himself to leap forward, close the space between blade and Lancer—

And he was already too late. His teammate beat him to it.

With reflexes untold, Susie had rushed to Lancer's front. The handle of her ax blocked Kris' sword, and held firm against their weight. Surprise came upon Kris, every effort to budge their sword a failure.

Her face melded anger with a smirk.

"You talk too much."

For a finishing touch, her fist collided with Kris' jaw.

A pained cry escaped Kris' mouth, saliva and blood in equal mixture. They skittered backward, footing lost, and tumbled flat on their back. Their sword escaped their grasp, clattering in the distance. Susie rushed for it.

But Kris' recovery was quick. They leapt back on their feet, and she was still a step away when they recollected their weapon. Before they could swing, she shifted her momentum, and hopped a safe distance back.

Kris kept their face angled downward, only their heavy breathing the soundtrack for the moment. Her nerves sat on a knife's edge.

"... That's better."

They lifted their gaze. The sight before Susie—malicious red eyes, toothed smile, a thin trickle of blood from their cut lip—brought pause to her. She stalled in place, her next movement dead on arrival.

Kris wasn't as slow.

A roar ballooned from within them, and burst into the open. They streaked forward, sword raised. Susie thrust her ax outward, a spontaneous flinch, and only just in time—the clangor of blade against ax handle ensued.

Kris swung again. With better preparation, Susie blocked, and used her momentum to shove forward. Kris was forced a step back, but she left her chest exposed in the motion. Their eyes lit.

They thrust their boot out for a well-timed kick. A perfect strike upon her ribcage. Her breath sputtered from the impact, and she staggered backward, hunched over.

The grin across Kris' features widened. They towered over Susie, and they raised their sword. Their singular attention was kept on their target.

And in doing so, they failed to see Ralsei's approach, two footsteps forward.

With his magic fully materialized, he pointed his palm at Kris. He concentrated. Clear, sharpened energy rushed forth in waves, and he forced Kris' knees to buckle. Then, a full collapse.

With an extra moment bought for her escape, Susie scrambled back to her feet. She returned to Ralsei's side, recreating the team's formation, and she gave him a bump on the shoulder. "Nice shot."

He said nothing, nor did he offer a return of eye contact. He kept his focus planted on Kris' form. He watched them stumble to their feet, and they allowed themself a moment to breathe.

They looked up. Their repulsive grin, bloodied lip and nose to accompany, was unwavering.

"Now _this_ is more like it! I'm proud of you guys, you're starting to understand now!" A dry, raspy choke came loose from their throat. "I must be a good teacher... you haven't even tried ACTing. You've got some real _hate_ in you, huh?"

Lancer continued to breathe uneasily, apprehension gripping at all sides, and his mouth hanging open in fear. Susie's features remained frozen, eyes centered solely on Kris.

Ralsei merely shook his head.

"None of us hate you, Kris."

Kris snorted, with a chuckle to match. "Oh? What would you call this, then?" They pointed to their bloodied face. "Just a little love tap?"

From Susie's periphery, she glanced at her right hand. Splotches of blood coated her knuckles. She grimaced, and her outward reaction earned renewed attention from Kris.

"Do you see now, Susie? I was right all along. So cut the damn act, and show me how you _really_ feel."

Susie could summon no reply. She diverted her face downward, her grip on her ax loosening with each passing breath.

Ralsei knew his team was at the brink. He needed to try something different.

"... Kris, you're mistaken. Completely."

Kris' amused grin withered away, swapped for a building impatience. But Ralsei took no reprieve. "This battle isn't because of hostility toward you. We only wish to free your SOUL, and see you heal. You know that as well as we do."

"So why aren't you ACTing, then?" Entertainment from Kris' voice had vanished, swapped for hardline anger. "You never threw a punch before, but _now_ you're fine with it? Bullshit. You wanted this all along."

"But I'm _not_ fine with it. I don't want to hurt you..." Ralsei's tone grew increasingly despondent, eyes to match. "This fight is a terrible choice, but what else can we even do? We've tried everything else—"

"Shut up! Just _shut the hell up!"_

Kris' words seethed through clenched teeth, bared for Ralsei and the others to see. Their red, cold glare heightened in fever.

"God, you all _sicken_ me! You and your fucking hypocrisy, this shit just keeps coming! All you do is sit there and talk about 'saving my SOUL,' and 'finding other options,' but you don't mean a damn word."

They tightened their grip on their sword hilt, knuckles nearly white.

"This is all just a part of your plan. Right? Pretend to be my friend, then brush me aside when you're done. My SOUL was useful to you for a while, so you kept stringing me along; but now that I've done your dirty work, and filled your damn _prophecy,_ it's time to get rid of me. So go on! Beat me to a bloody pulp, don't hold back. But all I ask is that you be honest with yourselves...

"You're not doing this for my 'own good,' or some shit like that. You're doing this because you _love_ it."

Kris' speech ceased at last. They spat on the ground, and saw blood.

"... Man, you're pretty screwed in the head right now, aren't you?"

Their icy gaze shifted to Susie, and said nothing as their eyes settled. But she was far from done.

"Like, I get your SOUL is messed up, but this is worse than I expected. You were right, Ralsei, stronger SOULs have stronger reactions."

Ralsei said nothing, his eyes glued to Kris with caution. She let herself sigh, and then continued.

"I'm not gonna sit here and tell you I get what's happening with your SOUL. I don't. But you keep saying we're liars, we hate you, all this stuff—you're _wrong,_ man. We want the real you back, that's what we're here to do... and we're not going anywhere."

"It's your funeral, then."

Kris lifted their sword, and held it in position to begin a new strike. Ralsei again prepared his magic, and Lancer braced.

But Susie, after a moment's pause, lowered her ax. Her motion brought wide-eyed glances, and shocked features from her teammates.

"If you never let your guard down... you might just hurt someone you care about, Kris. You haven't forgotten."

They sneered.

"What you think is irrelevant, Susie. You should be more concerned about what's in _my_ head. For example—"

They cut themself off with a wide swing of their arms. The bullet board reappeared, and their collective SOULs in the crossfire of their attack.

Susie's reaffirmed her grip on her ax, muscles tensed and ready. She prepared herself to block, and with his magic, Ralsei did the same. Lancer relied on deft touch and nimble footwork for evasion.

But this attack was different. Kris had used shock and awe before, bursts of brute strength to overwhelm. But this time, a more surgical approach kept the three on their heels. Rush in, a quick swipe or prod, back away, switch targets, cycle through—

And just as Susie tried to identify a pattern, Kris broke with a lunge, sword pointed outward. They jabbed. She sidestepped, and the blade came inches from her chest.

She felt a rush of adrenaline. She released a swift kick, catching Kris on the side of their armor. Her boot collided with metal, a clangor bursting from the contact.

Kris didn't budge an inch.

She felt her eyes crack open wide, and she raised her arms for a hasty, spur-of-the-moment block. But Kris took several steps back, and instead ended the skirmish. They wore a faint smirk, stare fixated upon her.

"... That was a good dodge. I thought I had you."

She said nothing. She kept her ax at chest level, again prepared for defense, but she looked over her teammates' health from the corner of her eye. No critical injuries, but she could see they had taken a few glancing blows, and suffered reduced HP.

Kris wasn't spotless, either.

"Susie, do you need any healing?"

She blinked, and turned her head fully. Ralsei waited, an anxious pall radiating from him, and concerned eyes to match. She shook her head.

"No. But you might need it yourself."

He grimaced a bit, as she finished her remark. "Y-yes, perhaps... Lancer, can you please find some bandages?"

"You got it! Bandages, coming up," he said, and he began rummaging through his bag. His attention diverted, Susie stepped across the clearing to cover his front, and stood over him to serve as a shield.

Before long, Lancer's hand emerged from the bag, a bandage roll his prize. He tossed the roll to Ralsei, and he applied them to his cuts and bruises. His HP ticked upward, in slow but steady rhythm.

Amusement again dominated Kris' body language, even culminating in a slight dip of their sword. They shook their head.

"It's all pointless, you know. This battle's over already." They grinned. "Just hold still, and I'll make it quick for you."

"Shut it, Clown!"

Every pair of eyes turned to the small, shrill voice billowing from the rightmost party member. But Lancer made no effort to hide himself further. He kept a steadfast determination, hands balled in tight fists as he stared Kris down.

"Susie's right, you talk way too much! You think we can't take you?"

"Yes. And you're an fool if you believe otherwise. Just look at your friends."

Lancer turned, and gave Ralsei and Susie a quick look-over. Even after healing himself, the former bore nicks and bruises from prior skirmishes; Susie didn't fare much better.

"This is only the beginning, Lancer. I haven't shown you _anything_ yet."

The same, sweltering terror of before began to encroach his throat, restricting his voice and breathing. But Lancer grated against his fear, forcing a harsh gulp, and he put the bravest, up-front scowl he could manage.

"That doesn't scare me. We're still going to win, and we're going to get the _real_ Clown back! Your time's up, got it?!"

Kris' gaze clouded in their own simmering fury. Their hands grew restless, fingers clasped around their sword's hilt.

"I told you. _I am Kris."_

Lancer shook his head, with fervor. "I don't _care_ what you say, you're lying! The Clown—no, _Kris_ isn't some big old jerk like you are, they're really nice! And I know that Kris is still inside you, we just have to find them! Right, guys?"

He had vanquished the fear within. Resolution seeped from every word he spoke, and as he turned to look at his companions, a viral spread overtook them. Susie returned eye contact with him, and then she looked back at Kris.

"He's right, Kris... we're gonna get you back. One way or another."

Ralsei nodded. He stuck his palm outward, and his team followed his lead in combat stances.

"Everyone, be ready to defend. My magic will be fully charged next turn, we'll strike then."

Grunts of acknowledgement from both. And from Kris, a long, deep breath. Their murky whisper only just reached their ears:

"You won't get the chance."

Their attack began anew.

Torrential hacks and slashes tore across the bullet board, the precision of before abandoned entirely. Patterns were forgotten, again in favor of pure, blunt strength. They wanted to fill _everything._

But even with a change in approach, it was becoming stale.

The trio kept a distance, with sidesteps and blocks to accompany, and no efforts to rush headfirst. Lessons from skirmishes past taught them spacing, and to great effect: already Kris' attacks lessened in intensity, exhaustion fermented.

And after a few moments longer, their attacks halted entirely. Heavy breathing filled their air, sweat beading at their forehead. They waited for the dust to settle, to check their handiwork.

"NOW!"

The shout broke the silence over the clearing. Then, obscured by the cloud of dust, a shape tore across the air. Lancer sprang forward, well above the ground, and closed in on Kris' startled form. He was too fast for them to duck in time.

His fist was balled tight. He delivered a shot to Kris' jaw, and rolled behind them on his landing.

A forced grunt escaped Kris' throat on impact, and they again spat blood. But without pause, Kris turned on their heel, and readied a new strike. Lancer had already recovered, and motioned to evade.

But he wasn't trying to dodge Kris' attack. Rather, he needed to get out of Susie's path.

An impact from behind sent Kris tumbling to the ground, sword strewn from their grasp. Susie used her larger frame to knock them over, and managed to keep her own balance; she reached her arm out to Lancer, and hoisted him onto her shoulder.

"Good hit, dude!"

His beam was ear-to-ear. "Told you I could help! Now let's finish the job!"

Kris had staggered back to their feet, and strained for the sword an arm's-length away. But their hand never reached.

Susie and Lancer sidestepped just in time. A beam of red and blue energy exploded from behind them, and collided with Kris square in the chest. They made no sound, only widened, stunned eyes for a split instant.

They flew back into the trees with a sickening crunch. They slid down the trunk to a sitting position, wholly unmoving.

Susie went to retrieve their sword, and transferred her ax to one hand to hold it. She and Lancer rejoined Ralsei's side. A thin trickle of smoke emitted from his palm, and his wince was present still. But with a deep breath, he returned his arm to his side.

"Holy _shit,_ man. I didn't know you had that in you."

"I didn't either..."

His eyes looked over Kris' slumped form carefully. They hadn't yet stirred, head angled down and away. Susie's expression descended to a light frown.

"Uh... did we go too far?"

"No. They still have half their HP. This battle is far from done."

She held up their sword, and let her eyes glaze over the blade and hilt. "Yeah, but how're they gonna fight without this?"

"They'll have other means. But they'll be restricted now, perhaps—"

His voice cut on a dime, stare again transfixed to the tree. Susie and Lancer followed suit. Kris' eyes had blinked open, and they lifted their face to look at the three of them.

Thin lines of blood sprouted from cuts on their lips. An identical picture with their nose, and deep purple bruises battered their face.

Ralsei said nothing, and neither did his teammates. Kris planted their palms flat against the ground, and with trembles shaking their body, slowly came to their feet. They stared at nothing in the distance, honed red eyes watching a thousand yards away.

It was then he started to warm his magic pool.

"When we reduce their HP to a quarter, I'll prepare another pacifist spell. It'll give us time to plan our next move."

Susie nodded, and Lancer as well. The three again adopted combat stances, and waited for Kris' move. But they made no effort to reciprocate, only a continual gaze in the distance.

Until, with a slow, steady hand, they pressed their fingers on their armor, aimed over their heart. They tapped the metal, twice in sequence. Susie's hold on her ax tensed.

It began.

A blood-curdling roar burst from Kris' throat. Their hands tore at their shoulders, clawing and ripping at leather straps. With great exertion, they tore their armor plate free, and threw it to the ground. Only their dark undershirt remained.

Their fingers became crooked, jagged edges pointing outward. They clawed over their heart, wrenching at fabric, fingernails digging through material and flesh. Their scream was unending.

Ralsei and his teammates could only watch. Horror filled his eyes, his stomach twisted in knots. He darted to their HP... below half. Below 40%. Below 30%.

"K-Kris! Stop! STOP!"

He sprinted forward, heedless to the cries of Susie and Lancer. Kris paid him no attention.

He grabbed them by the shoulders, giving them a furious shake. Nothing.

There was no choice.

Ralsei cast his indecision aside. With any strength he could gather, he summoned his pacifist spell, and put his hand on Kris' forehead. He could feel their sweat drenched hair, the bruises, the wounds he and his team made.

His breath caught in his throat, and he closed his eyes. He cast the spell.

Kris' scream halted.

Ralsei could feel his heartbeat, rifling in his chest. Heavy thumps pounded in his ears, and fused with the echo stuck in his head. His eyes blinked open, and open wide.

Kris had lowered their gaze. Their eyes were open only a sliver, and concentrated upon their hand. Ralsei looked closer.

And what he saw, with his wide, unblinking gaze, was Kris' exposed SOUL. Locked in their firm grip, fingers clasped around.

Their HP stood exactly at one.

Susie approached, with Lancer carefully on her heels. The two came to Ralsei's side, and they too went for a closer look. And when her eyes came across, her mouth fell agape, and she felt herself freeze in place. She could summon no words, but there was no need.

Ralsei broke the hush with a whisper.

"Kris, you... you just... _what have you done?_ "

Kris maintained a wounded expression, glassy eyes to show. But as Ralsei's voice tapered away, their blood-stained, toothy grin re-emerged.

"Like I said. You haven't seen anything yet."

They put their hands on Ralsei's shoulders, and shoved him with all their might. He stumbled backward. Susie motioned to catch him, and Lancer as well; none focused on Kris, as they tightened their grip on their SOUL, squeezing harder—

They held their hand outward. Three strings of light sprouted between their fingers, and cascaded outward. One of each attached to the SOULs within Ralsei, within Susie, within Lancer.

Kris laughed, one last time. They hacked up stray blood.

 _"You're mine."_

They yanked their hand backward. Each SOUL was torn from its body. And with one final effort, Kris crushed their own between their palms. A great light exploded from their hands, filling their eyes with its searing glare...

And all in the Field of Hopes and Dreams was still.


	18. Chapter 18

With a sharp gasp, Susie felt her senses return.

Opening her eyes, she found, mattered little. Not for a lack of desire, but rather, in practicality; the room was dark, almost impossibly so. But after a few stray blinks, and a balled fist to rub her eyes, she forced herself on her feet, and shifted to look around.

Or tried to, anyway. But all around her was a pitch-black canvas.

She felt a weight in her stomach, her movements slow and forbearing. The air around her was chilled, but it didn't feel natural—was she outdoors? Part of her desperately hoped not, it would be easy to assume the forest was yet again at play.

But the unrelenting void wasn't for long. As if on cue, a single light in the distance flickered. Her eyes were drawn at once, and her feet moved in close sequence. She ran, heedless of concern for the terrain, and consideration of risk. She cared little what awaited her at the end.

Susie came to the light, and only up close did she halt. The light materialized as a sphere, floating just above the ground, and perfectly still. She knelt. Her unsteady hand moved forward, but just before contact, she paused.

Her ears pounded, a reflection of her heart rate. She had to swallow, a moment's reprieve against an ocean of nerves.

And then, with a slight lunge forward, she took the light in her palm, and closed her fist.

At her feet, a swirling of wind kicked up, and spread steadily upward. She planted her boots in place, and lifted her arm to her face for cover; speed and intensity only increased, her hair whipped and frazzled every which way. She felt her center of gravity slip, her knees buckled—

And just as fast as the storm began, it ceased.

Susie lowered her arm, and with the chance afforded by clear vision, she took stock around her. Just a few steps in the distance, she saw what looked like the shrouded form of a person, lying face-down against the ground. Entirely still.

The green hat and tunic were unmistakable. She ran to his side.

"Ralsei!"

She crouched, and turned Ralsei over on his back. Spurred by the contact, his eyes opened slowly, unfocused and glazed at first, but settled on eye contact with her before long. He saw her face frozen in concern, and confusion fell over his own features.

Ralsei went to bring himself up. But at first attempt, a sharp pain stabbed from all sides, and yanked a gasp free from his lungs. Susie placed her hand gently on his back, and helped him slowly sit upright. He panted a bit from the exertion.

"Thank you..."

She offered no verbalization, but instead, she sat next to him. She kept her hand planted to his back for a moment longer, and his throbbing, fast heart rate brought a near wince to her. Unnatural was putting it lightly.

"Are you okay?"

He continued his shallow breathing, in absence of conversation. But after a short time to recover, he forced himself to find his voice. "I think so. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

His tone wavered in spots, meek and unsteady. Susie's concern only deepened, but she fought off a gnawing frown attacking her lips, and she distracted herself with renewed attention to the pair's surroundings.

"Where are we?" She kept her eyes peeled in the distance, little attention spared to Ralsei. All the same, he took a moment to study around him.

He could see nothing.

"I have no idea."

A slight scowl manifested upon Susie. She leaned back a bit, using her arms for support. "What the hell's going on? This isn't a _dream,_ is it?"

"No, not a dream... perhaps another vision?" He posed the question to himself, and a mixture of contemplation and worry lined his expression. "I'm not sure what'll happen next. We'll have to stay alert."

"We?" A cold, stark realization seeped into Susie's mind. Her eyes grew wide, panic taking over. "Hold on. If you're here, where's _Lancer?"  
_

Her sense of worry spread like wildfire. Ralsei craned his neck side-to-side, and again scanned their close surroundings; Susie came to a stand with hurry, and she offered her hand to him. He gingerly accepted, but grimaced at the contact. "Come on, let's get moving."

He nodded. The two began to walk, pace kept slow and careful; Ralsei moved as fast as he could manage, but he favored his right foot slightly. She took note of his limp, and her lips became a thin line.

"Ralsei, what happened to you?"

He was already out of breath, speaking only between deep breaths and puffs. "I can't—I can't tell you..."

As his voice trailed off, he came to a stop, and Susie as well. Then he put his hand on his chest, and closed his eyes. His HP meter flashed above his head.

Less than half his total hit points remained. Susie felt her heart skip a beat.

"What the _hell?_ Dude, when did you—"

"I don't know! I didn't lose this much health in the battle, I—ah!"

His gasp was sharp, pointed in the still air around them. He crumpled to his knees.

Susie came to his side in an instant. She knelt, and gently placed her hands on his shoulders to help him sit up; but he winced even at that weak contact, and his breathing became heavier to match. She checked his meter again.

It had already fallen several more points. It was closer to a quarter left than half now.

"Can you use your healing magic?" Panic was evident in Susie's voice, hurried tempo to match. To her dismay, Ralsei shook his head.

"All my energy is drained. I can't use any spells..."

"But we have to do _something!"_ She made no qualms in showing her growing fear. She again forced herself to stand, and her fist subconsciously closed in the process. "Lancer might still have his bag, with all the medicine. We need to find him."

Ralsei nodded again, but his grimace remained untouched. Even a stray tear spilled from his eye. "I don't think I can walk... Susie, just—just go ahead. I'll only slow you down."

She knew there was no sense in arguing. With a hurried first step, she broke in a full-on sprint ahead.

* * *

In the darkness, Lancer could only stumble about.

Nerves kept his senses sharp, heart running a mile a minute. Only occasionally did he remember to breathe, and then in short, bursting gasps; every faculty he possessed was tuned around him. He looked desperately in the distance for movement, and he strained to listen for sound.

And in just a few moments, his patience was rewarded. An echoed call rose from silence, well away from him. It was too far to tell the direction. He planted himself on the spot, and waited.

Another shout. Much more distinct this time, coming closer. And he knew the voice.

"SUSIE!"

He took off, as fast as his legs could carry him. Nothing could impede his sprint, each lunge as hurried than the last, adrenaline pumping. And as a silhouette formed, he could see she did just the same.

The approach was fast upon them. Lancer jumped, and Susie caught him. The embrace was immediate, and they squeezed each other tightly. Lancer couldn't suppress a loud gasp, all his emotions bursting forth.

He could feel her tremble.

"Are you alright?!"

Her tone was hurried, fear infused in every word. She extended her arms forward, and she looked Lancer over carefully: she could see no wounds, nor wear and tear from battle, but she wanted Ralsei to check to be sure.

The thought of his name brought fervor to her in waves.

"I'm okay, don't worry! I'm just glad you're—"

"Lancer, where's the bag?"

Her interruption brought pause to Lancer's train of thought. "The bag?"

"The drawstring bag, with the supplies! Where is it?"

She was frantic now, setting Lancer on his feet. The image of his drawstring back, filled to the brim with bandage rolls and glass bottles, flashed before him, and his first instinct was to reach his hand behind his back. Nothing.

"I—I didn't touch it! It's been gone since I woke up."

She swallowed, a choked sound escaping her mid-reflex. Without pause, she pointed in the direction she came from. "We need to go, _now!_ I'll explain when we get there, come on!"

She reached her arm out. Lancer felt a million questions to ask, but the time could come later; with one swoop, she hoisted him up to her shoulder, and took off running.

* * *

Ralsei could only bear to lie flat on his back.

Every shift in position, movement of his muscles, and sometimes nothing at all caused great distress. His headache was approaching the feel of a skull split in two, and he groaned with clenched teeth and seething breath. Spots filled his eyes, the darkness punctured with splotches of red and white.

With every ounce of strength he could muster, he forced himself to look at his health bar. Single digits approached.

He knew there was no sense in speculation. However this began, he couldn't guess; all that mattered was its continual leech of his health. But Lancer would buy more time with his medicine, he and Susie just needed to come back...

Even through the blood pounding in his ears, he heard footsteps behind him. He tilted his head, struggling to catch a glimpse. But from his perspective at ground level, it wasn't Susie's boots, nor Lancer's footwear.

Steel-plated armor punctured every step with authority.

He held his breath in his chest. With short, watchful strides, Kris came to his side, and knelt. Their eyes had taken a shade of scarlet, and stared into his own. They wore no emotions to see.

"... You don't look well, Ralsei."

He motioned to roll away, exertion rippling through skin and bone with stabs of pain. Kris stuck their hand on his shoulder to stop him. A slight grin stretched their lips, though lesser than their features in the battle.

"Don't go anywhere. You'll miss the show."

The contact between Kris' glove and his shoulder wrought agony. Ralsei screamed. He writhed beneath the touch, searing pain sprouting like daggers with each passing second. He could feel his hold on consciousness slipping, the corners of his vision fuzzy.

Kris knit their brows. They lifted their hand.

At once, the torment of pain was washed away, swapped for a dull, monotonic pulse. Ralsei gasped, air seeping through his lungs with difficulty. Each moment felt an eternity and more to him.

Through all this, Kris sat down fully. Their focus upon him never wavered.

"I really messed you up, huh? Damn."

Ralsei sputtered. Only a forced hack and cough emerged from his throat, he needed time to summon enough strength to speak. "What... what did you _do_ to me?"

Kris shrugged.

"I'm experimenting. Trying something different."

They chuckled, a dry, creaked sound spilling from within them. They shifted their head side-to-side, to crack their neck.

"Did you like that technique I used? It's tricky to pull off, but it's very interesting." Kris kept their voice hushed, monotone. "It's just too bad I can't use it more often. It takes _everything,_ you see. HP, determination, willpower... all to bring you to this place, into my SOUL.

"And speaking of my SOUL, you've been here before. Do you remember when you tried to heal me?"

Through all other distractions, Ralsei's mind drifted to the past. He could summon the sequence at will. The torment of being near Kris' injured SOUL. Shattering the bird cage. Taking their SOUL in his hands... witnessing their fear, their anguish, their _hatred_ poured out for him to see.

In particular, he could recall one memory: closing his eyes in the bedroom, and opening them elsewhere. Waking up in a dark, unending space, no walls or borders, but only an endless stretch of nothing. And now he was forced to return, to watch it all again.

Kris coughed.

"The end of our battle's approaching. But don't worry, I'll spare you the worst of it."

Another grin came upon their features, eyes wide to match. They raised their hand over Ralsei's chest.

He tightly shut his eyes, bracing for a new round of torture. But moments passed without arrival. Rather, what seemed to him a warm breeze seeped nearby, engulfing him in its wrap. He made himself look.

His eyes met the sight of Kris, standing over him. Within their grasp, they clutched Ralsei's SOUL.

Any semblance of his voice died in his throat. Only a faint whimper broke free, but it was enough to draw inquisitive eyes to his form. Their smile unending, they knelt to bring their hand closer.

Up-close, Ralsei saw it. A thin, silvery wire, extending from his SOUL to Kris' chest.

"I have to say... you're a _great_ partner, Ralsei. I used up all my hit points, so thanks for lending me yours."

Kris' voice dripped with derision, mockery filled bite cutting through every word. Ralsei felt another twinge in his gut, sharp groan and speckled vision to match.

His health bar dropped a sliver more. And Kris' rose, just the same amount. They absently tossed his SOUL to the ground.

"I'm a little disappointed, though. I'm able to siphon health from _you_ , but the others are stubborn. I'll have to try something else."

Kris shifted their head, staring off in the distance. A brief pause ensued, Ralsei's deep, pained breaths the only sound. But in time, a steady trickle of footsteps began to build from echoes, and they could sense the owner's approach. They snorted, amusement palpable.

"What do you know. Good timing."

The darkness couldn't hide the fast-coming figure any longer. Cutting her stride with haste, Susie came to a halt, and Lancer responded with a quick hop down from her shoulder.

First Lancer's eyes found Ralsei, only his throttled gasps puncturing his still, crumpled form. And then he slowly turned upward.

Kris' glare honed upon him, and all he saw were those sickly red eyes. Every muscle in his body went stiff, lump in his throat blocking any sound. Susie put her hand on his shoulder, and gently nudged him behind her.

"Lancer, stay back..."

He raised no objection this time. Rather, he pressed himself close to Susie's leg, and peered out at the scene once more; Kris' attention had redirected, focused solely upon Susie, and their emotionless features revealed nothing.

Then they spoke.

"Took you long enough."

Susie raised her arms to shield herself. And through her impromptu block, adrenaline coursed within her; with sharpened attention, she caught a glimpse of something dull and gray, near Ralsei's side. Against every fiber of her being, she let her eyes wander for the briefest moment.

And then, she found herself stuck to the sight. She gaped. On the ground by Kris' feet, with only a faint pulse remaining, was Ralsei's SOUL.

Kris could see her split focus. They smirked.

"What's wrong? You look nervous, Susie."

A flicker of rage sparked within her eyes. She tightened her fist.

"Get away from him..."

Kris laughed, derision and scorn in ample supply. "Leave Ralsei? Why, I would _never_ abandon my friend in his time of need! Not like you, anyway."

Susie lurched forward. Kris' amused smile vanished on the spot, a deathly serious glare taking its place; they lifted their boot, mere inches above Ralsei's SOUL. She had to stop herself in place, eyes widened, and breath stuffed in her lungs from fear.

"Not one step closer. Don't think I won't."

Any hint of playfulness, the sarcasm of before, had vanished. Their eyes took on a more intense hue, boring into her own with unceasing fury. She had to suppress shivers.

Nevertheless, she took one step backward. And Kris moved their foot away.

"Good. For once, you're using your damn head."

Kris' wide, split smile returned with a vengeance. Eye contact resumed, and Susie felt herself near petrified.

"From how _stupid_ you look, I can probably guess what you're thinking... I already gave Ralsei the rundown, but I'll fill you in, too."

They paused. Silence overtook the four; Susie and Lancer kept on high alert, and from where he lay, Ralsei continued his shallow breathing. His SOUL continued to flicker, a spark of light at intervals. But Susie knew there was no chance to grab it, not without risk too great to accept.

Kris began.

"My last attack wasn't just for show. It took all the strength I had, but it worked beautifully... I've placed you all within my SOUL." Kris gestured aimlessly, to the darkness all around. "This is _me._ What do you think?"

She said nothing.

"It's a simple process, in theory. To bring you all here, I needed to create a connection between our SOULs. Do you recall seeing it?"

"Y-you made a bunch of ropes... that's why you tore our SOULs out...!"

Lancer's voice was meek, just barely audible. But a spurt of laughter came forth from Kris, and they needed a short breath to cap their reaction. "Yes! Precisely so. When I removed your SOULs, I established the link. And now, each of you are bonded to me."

"Yeah? What are you trying at?"

Kris cast a baneful eye to Susie. Again she felt herself freeze, perfect stillness cast upon her.

"You're standing here, in the lovely confines of my SOUL, because I think this'll make an _excellent_ battlefield. It's far superior to the Field."

Kris crossed their arms. Susie again chose no reply, instead looking upon them with all the courage she could muster. She surmised a breach in her disposition, as Kris shook their head before very long.

"None of this is easy, of course. It takes a lot of energy. Fortunately, I have Ralsei to thank for my recovery."

Susie's eyes darted to Ralsei's near-still form, his SOUL on the ground, and Kris. Their grin again turned grotesque, pangs of dread spiking within her at the mere sight.

"If it makes you feel any better," Kris said, "I tried to leech from you, too. But I guess our SOULs don't get along... go figure. I always knew you were full of shit."

They blinked.

"... I have nothing left to say. Let's move on, shall we?"

Kris brought their hand to their chest. Their bright red SOUL appeared in their palm.

Images of the final attack streaked across Susie's mind. And with a burst of speed untold, she charged forward. Kris was just out of her reach, and with an extended hand, her fingertips aimed for their arm.

She closed her eyes. She lunged forward, and felt nothing. Rather, she stumbled forward, and collapsed to her knees.

Susie was quick to return to her feet, and she turned around. She reopened her eyes, and with a tightly bound fist, readied a swing at Kris behind her.

They were already gone.

Susie's hand lingered mid-motion, hand clenched and nails digging into her palm, for just a moment longer. Then, she slowly lowered her arm to her side, and from her periphery, she looked around her.

The ground beneath her feet had turned to earth, adorned with rocks and dead, crackled grass. Towering trees surrounded her all around, reaching far beyond her sight. Wind had begun, a steady, cold breeze sifting her curtain of hair about her face.

 _The forest..._

She made herself breathe deeply, a concentrated effort. Ralsei and his SOUL had disappeared too.

"Lancer?"

Her call yielded no answer from him. But someone else was happy to pick up the slack.

"He's gone. It's just you and me."

She whirled on the spot. Kris had re-emerged behind her, still in their ever-present suit of armor. But their sword had returned to their side, and their eyes more vibrant than she remembered. And they stared right into hers.

"Everything within my SOUL is my design. I control what you see, and I determine when and how we battle. How's the forest sound?"

She could find nothing to say. Kris demonstrated no emotion.

"Looks like you're ready, then. I have other things to attend to, so I'll leave you to it."

Kris turned around, and walked away. They went beyond clusters of trees, and soon out of sight, again into the dark. As she watched them go, she felt her breath well in her lungs.

There was a new presence behind her, signaled by the crunch of dead leaves and twigs. She craned her neck, and then, she shifted herself fully.

Susie came face-to-face with _herself._

Standing before her, mere footsteps away, was a double of her Dark World form. She scanned over every detail: clothes, physique, height, features—everything matched. It was a perfect reflection.

She found herself only able to stare. She felt her mind cloud, all her thoughts and feeling in conflict. Her voice became stuck in her throat. But with a unsteady hand, all she could do was reach forward, to attempt to touch her mirror image.

And it responded with a swift punch to the gut.

Susie doubled over with a gasp, and she hacked up saliva. The clone thrust its knee forward, and collided squarely with her downturned face. She tumbled to the ground, clutching her nose, and twin trickles of blood began from her nostrils.

The clone sprinted forward, and readied a stomp to pin Susie down. She rolled only just in time, and staggered back on her feet. Enough distance was between them for her to prepare for the next skirmish.

But at last, the clone paused. Instead of an attack, it settled for a hard glare.

"Do you _like_ getting your shit kicked in? You're pathetic. Put up a damn fight!"

Susie curled her fingers, her right hand prepped to swing. A great shout erupted from her throat, and she burst forward. The space between them vanished.

She popped the clone right on the jaw. It too went down.

But Susie had no chance for a follow-up. Her reaction speed was cut, concentration broken by a pointed twinge inside; she felt her very _SOUL_ chill, a cold rush cascading throughout her. She hesitated.

With the time afforded, the clone had returned to its feet. And with an edged, withering glare, it looked Susie dead in the eyes.

"You didn't hold back there... good. If you don't have your _hatred_ intact, you're already dead."

The clone again ran forward. Susie braced herself.

* * *

Lancer's blood ran cold.

The frigid wind of the Card Castle's rooftop caused him to shiver. Standing in the open space, the chill assaulted his senses from all angles. But he paid it as little mind as he could, his singular focus directed straight ahead.

And with it, his encroached, profound fear. His eyes continued to tear up from the sting, but he couldn't force himself away.

By the castle parapet, a tall, shadowed figure loomed. Their arm was outstretched, dangling over the edge. And caught firmly in their ironlike grip, squirming and clutching at their throat, was a Rudinn Ranger.

"I-I-I-I didn't do it! It wasn't—"

 _"Silence._ All reports of your absence at Outpost 311 two nights ago have been confirmed. You were the only Ranger split from your platoon, we _know_ you snuck into the grainery..."

"PLEASE, STOP! It won't happen again! I'm sorry, I promise I'll make up for it!"

The figure's response stalled. Their nostrils flared, warm air pelting the face of the Ranger.

"Will you?"

The Ranger nodded, over and over again. "Yes! Yes, I throw myself at your Majesty's good graces! Please, grant mercy..."

"Of course."

The figure began to retract their arm. The Ranger's panic, their jumbled twisting and shallow breathing, slowed. Both went entirely silent.

And then, just as the figure brought their hand across the parapet, they thrust their arm outward. They released their grasp on the Ranger's clothes.

The scream could be heard for miles.

"NO!"

Lancer sprinted to the roof's edge, and peered over. All he could see was a thick, rolling shroud of darkness, enveloping the whole of the ground. He heard no sound on impact.

"Mercy indeed. The gift I've given you is _far_ preferable to the dungeons."

The figure laughed, a hoarse noise billowing from within. They stepped out from the shadows, and Lancer could discern their features. The King of the Dark World.

But it wasn't his father. No, this King was several years his elder, but the resemblance was unmistakable. As Lancer stared upon himself, far in the future, he could only manage a faint, lightened squeak.

"What do you think, Lancer? Behold, the splendor of your kingdom."

He gestured, to the space beyond the castle roof The totality of darkness magnified its presence in Lancer's eyes. And at the same time, an ear-to-ear, toothed grin split across the King's face.

"You've become a real chip off the old block. The kingdom is in good hands now. _Our_ hands."

The King took a step forward. He grabbed Lancer by the scruff of his collar, and lifted him.

"But just to be sure... why don't you go on a tour? So much has changed, you need to see it for yourself."

Lancer made no movement. His own emotions had swallowed him, fearful eyes staring off at nothing. The King sneered. With slow, leisurely pace, he again approached the edge, and dangled Lancer over.

He freed his grip.

* * *

1 HP.

With what little health he had left, Ralsei's mind wandered. Every thought he carried was hazy, fading in and out with spots in his vision. He felt nothing. His arms, his legs, his head, his heart—there was simply an absence of function.

His SOUL was still missing. He didn't know where it went. And he paid it no mind.

All he could focus on was the sight before him.

The Eastern Fountain beckoned ahead. Awash with color and brilliant light, it throbbed and pulsed in constant motion; the room was filled with its energy, sending long shadows and cascading patterns to dance across the walls. It was a beautiful sight, even greater than the fountain in Castle Town.

Through the fog in his head, a lone idea permeated his thoughts.

He made himself to try and move. First his fingers, then his arms, and finally his legs. And when he felt prepared, he summoned his every last bit of strength, and dragged himself across the ground. Across the short space to reach the Fountain, and his target was the foot of the basin. He made no effort to count the time in his head, however long it took. Minutes? Hours?

But through this time untold, he straggled closer. And closer still. As the Fountain neared, the colors seemed brighter, overbearing to his sight. He needed to shut his eyes, but even through this, he pressed forward. He was too close to stop now.

And at last, with one final push, he felt wisps of smoke and heat bombard his face. He'd arrived at the Fountain.

Ralsei reopened his eyes. He stared.

The blinding light he'd expected was gone. There was no pain to be had, no searing sting or burned scar tearing across his sight. Rather, he found the Fountain was quite... pleasant. A calming aura swept over him.

His muscles relaxed. Without a sound, he gently lowered his head, and lay on his side.

Stillness came calling, a temptation he found impossible to ignore. But just before his catatonic sleep, in his spot where he could (perhaps) rest at last, he spared one final glance at his vitals.

His heartbeat maintained its faint march onward, and his lone hit point lingered. It was curious to him. But should he have the chance, there'd be time to think later.

He closed his eyes once more.


	19. Chapter 19

"Damn it."

Another throb. Kris' hand was quick to find their heart, and they clutched the fabric of their undershirt tightly; with an unwieldy grimace, they waited for the twinge of pain to end. This one was a bit longer than the others.

But at last, the heartburn came to a slow halt. Kris breathed, and gently returned their hand to their side.

They could feel sweat building in a layer around their face. Likewise for the rest of their body, and fatigue was setting in with soreness. Even basic movements were becoming a chore, and the need to conserve energy was paramount.

Kris groaned.

Even after taking Ralsei's energy, maintaining separate visions proved daunting. They guessed they could only keep the illusions for a few minutes longer, at most; after that, they would have to finish the battle themself.

But it would all be worth it in the end. _S_ _oftening_ up their foes a bit, forcing them to live their greatest fears—all to bring them to their knees. Picking off Susie and Lancer would be a breeze.

Their only concern was Ralsei. The vision _he_ received was different. They would have to intervene in their mistake soon.

A sharp, pointed grin seeped onto Kris' lips.

* * *

Susie's voice had gone hoarse.

Exertion strained her vocal chords, leaving each shout increasingly broken and raspy. But she had no control to stop herself. With every punch, each shove and kick, she _needed_ a scream. An extra tunnel to channel her rage, and her power. She knew she sounded insane. There was no poise and elegance to her style.

She didn't want it.

With a swift jab, Susie aimed for the clone's gut. But the clone, with a well placed block, deflected her fist, and her forward momentum left her shoulder exposed. The clone readied an elbow, swinging for her collarbone.

She spun, and the clone's attack found only air. But she earned only a moment's rest.

A solid fist collided square with her nose, and sent her staggering backward. She kept her eyes steadily forward, fully expecting a follow-up, but the clone held its ground where it stood.

And with newfound distance between them, stagnation settled in.

Neither she nor the clone readied a headfirst strike. Nor a counter, or even a feint. Only a deep, locked-in staredown remained, coupled with shallow breathing and bloodied knuckles.

"... You fight pretty well."

Susie wasn't sure why she bothered. The clone hadn't breathed a word since first contact.

With an eye cast away, she checked her health meter. Her total was a little less than half, and her enemy was near identical. The resemblance went beyond just appearance: the clone adopted a perfect copy of her fighting style, with all her moves at its disposal. It knew _everything_ about her.

And a dead-even draw was the result.

Susie rubbed her hand beneath her nose, and briefly looked it over. Her bleeding had slowed, but experience taught her it was liable to flare up again. She would have to be careful.

But a movement from the clone brought her attention back to her target. She watched it check its _own_ nose, and then it grunted.

"And you're pitiful. You've gone soft, Susie."

The clone's remark fell pretty close to her expectations. She couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah? I take it back, then. If I'm shit, I guess that makes two of us, right?"

"Wrong. Don't lump me with your weakness... I'm far better than you."

Susie felt a frown develop, and this wasn't lost upon the clone. It folded its arms.

"I can see you're flustered... all you need to know, Susie, is that I am a reflection of your genuine self. You, who loves conflict, and bloodshed, and creating misery—I am _everything_ you are, and everything you will be."

Susie felt breath catch in her lungs. Her mind fumbled, struggling to produce coherency.

"What?"

"You heard me," the clone said. A wicked grin split across its lips, keeping her centered squarely in its glade. "Come now, there's no shame in the truth! You _adore_ violence. You want nothing more than to destroy those against you!"

"But—you can't be..."

Susie's mind ran. Reflections of moments shared with Kris and Ralsei, of laughter and adventure, of time spent together in walks through town, the library—and conversation of ACTing. To be different. To _try._

And then she thought of Lancer. Her own little brother.

"What do you mean I can't be? I'm—"

"You don't _exist_ any more! I don't want you!"

Now it was the clone's turn to laugh. "You don't want me? An interesting choice of words." The clone's hand sifted its hair from its face, and its eyes could be seen. They carried a red tint, a glare to freeze her in place.

"Do you think I'm merely a tool at your disposal? You're a _fool,_ Susie. I'll always be here, right by your side."

"No! You're just a damn _fake,_ get the hell out of here!" Her voice emerged as a pained shout, teeth clenched during pauses for breath. The desperation in her tone was evident.

The clone's grin widened.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. You're not just a fool, you're a _coward,_ too. How can you turn your back on your instincts? Your lust for combat is unquenchable, just look at the _battle_ we've waged!"

"I didn't start this..."

Susie could barely gather more than a mumble. She pointed her face downward, ducking eye contact. The clone crossed its arms.

"Even so, you were more than happy to retaliate." The clone snickered. "Do you see now, Susie? You can tell yourself you've 'changed,' and that you're 'better' now, but when the going gets tough, you just slide right back and swing at everything. When you're done with me, it's off to your next battle with Kris. And _plenty_ more after, I'm sure."

Susie said nothing. The clone huffed, but a mild, amused grin betrayed its feigned show of annoyance.

"We've wasted enough time. Let's wrap this up."

The clone raised its fists, extending them out in front. It watched Susie with honed eyes, sharpened for any twitch. And Susie in turn looked to the clone, with an expression it found it couldn't read.

Without a sound, she sat down. She raised one knee, and rested her hand atop it.

"No."

The clone's smirk vanished. Its eyes went wider, fists tightening.

"What do you mean, _no?"_

"I'm done fighting you. That's all."

Susie closed her eyes, and rested her forehead against her arm. She heard the clone's footsteps, fast approaching her front, and she winced in preparation for impact.

But rather than a kick, or a stomp, she felt the clone's hand grab for her shirt's collar. The clone lifted, forcing her to look into its eyes once again, and she saw boiling rage within.

"Do you not understand what's happening? You and I, we still have a score to settle. Don't pretend otherwise."

"Fine. Go ahead and finish it."

The clone snarled. It released its grip on her shirt with a push, and Susie fell to the ground. She made herself to sit up slowly, but nothing further. She continued to divert her stare downward.

She allowed her thoughts to wander again.

Standing before her, in physical form, was her double. There was no sense reasoning otherwise. But every word to come from its mouth, its every idea, and emotion, and motivation she could see—she felt herself _terrified._ Her shivers became a challenge to suppress, and so she wrapped her arms around herself. She put all her focus on the task.

There could be no show of weakness. Not to this.

The conversation of just minutes prior relayed in her head. Part of her wanted nothing more than ignorance, to discard each word as a lie. But with every effort to leave it behind, it only crept up all the more. It was impossible to escape, and she knew it.

 _I am a reflection of your genuine self. You, who loves conflict, and bloodshed, and creating misery..._

She could recall memories of the past. Locked in an unending grudge with the world, and an itch to pick a fight. It wasn't hard to put herself back in those shoes.

All she had to do was look up. But she refused, not while there were yet more memories to sift through.

Her mind wandered days spent with Kris, with Ralsei, and with Lancer. Days that were _different._ She narrowed her focus, to memories of their encouragement, and their support in her efforts for change... their help in learning something new. She didn't always have to fight.

And there, she realized at last, came the split.

There was nothing of herself, who _she_ wanted to be, inside this clone. She saw only a heartless creature _,_ thriving on anger, feeding on lies, and preying upon cruelty. To give in to its desires, and play its game, would bring only despair.

And perhaps, to do nothing would yield a similar result. She didn't know. But her decision was final.

She felt her trembles fade away.

Yet more time passed, silence again engulfing the forest. She finally turned her head. The clone continued to watch her, its red, fiery eyes honed in.

"... Why aren't you—"

"I'm waiting."

The clone's interruption was swift. But without pause, Susie made a fast retort of her own: "You're _waiting?_ "

"I want to see you lash out. It's fascinating. So quit being a sniveling little shit, and just—"

"It's fascinating to you? Us _killing_ each other?" Now it was Susie's turn to interrupt, and she again came to her feet. She took a step forward, and with a smile, the clone braced; but rather than fists, she used only her voice.

"... Man, you and I _are_ different. Get that in your head."

She took a step back once more, and sat down. The clone's eyes followed her every move. She let loose a slight chuckle, and again looked up to make eye contact.

"You know, I'm starting to think Ralsei had the wrong strategy." She paused, and gauged the clone for a reaction. It revealed nothing. "He said we should give in and fight, but all that's caused is a bunch of shit. Just look at us."

She again brought her hand to her nose, and she checked it over. Her reward came in a dribble of blood.

"If we keep this up, we're both dead. And maybe that's something _you_ want, but not me. We're through."

The clone exhaled. To Susie's surprise, it too decided to sit, and crossed its legs.

"How naive..."

* * *

At ground level, Lancer could see everything.

His fall had been quick, and soundless. A few seconds of constant motion, and then impact. And when he landed at last, his body felt as if he'd fallen on a soft pillow. He kept himself flat on his back, only to blankly stare above him.

Up at the tips of the castle spires. And beyond that, the ever-shifting cover of darkness above.

But before long, he at last shifted his arms slightly, and raised himself. On his feet, his senses became keen, attentiveness rushing back; his eyes tore across the ground with fervor, and fear in equal measure.

There was no sign of the Ranger. Instead, he was given a chance to take stock of his surroundings, and his eyes darted from place to place.

He'd landed just next to the front gates of the Castle, a place he knew quite well. An abundance of memories teemed in his mind, of times he snuck out for adventures in the Field; the details proved hazy in the march of time, but he still remembered a few. Days when he could be himself, and explore.

There was one in particular.

He could summon the visuals at will. Every lush, purple tree along the Field's edge, the wind-stroked grass, the torchlight from the castle walls sending long shadows to dance in his eyes. That was the day he made new friends.

It was the happiest day of his life. A bit of a bumpy ride at first, but he hoped the memory would always remain, clear and bright.

And that's why, with the sight before him now, he felt his gut twist. His wish had fallen on deaf ears.

Across the gates, the Field of Hopes and Dreams had been razed. The endless rows of trees were gone, only a few stumps and fallen tree trunks to serve as remnants; the grass had become a sickly brown, crackled and dead beneath his feet. The soil fared little better, with thorns and sharp rocks and pebbles scattered about.

And the fog. The thick, darkened fog, choking in its overbearing presence. Was it smoke? _Poison,_ even? He couldn't tell, but there was little energy to focus. All he could do was cough. And hack. And struggle for every breath.

Tears filled his eyes, a burning sting setting in. But even through blurred sight, the clomping of boots alerted a new presence to him. He turned.

Still a ways in the distance, but approaching the Castle with steady pace, was a group of Rudinn Rangers. Lancer rubbed his eyes, and with what little clarity he earned, he studied them closer: each was armed with identical red swords, sheathed in scabbards hanging from their waists. But of special note was their _armor._

Each Ranger wore a steel-plated chassis and helmet, adorned with chain mail and heavy gloves and boots. Equipment well beyond standard issue. These weren't simple guards, but rather, something far more potent.

"Admiring our fighting strength? Wise."

Lancer whipped on his heels. The King stood behind, a sickening, toothed smile infecting his lips, and his steely eyes focused upon him. "Before anything else, I'd like to apologize for the fall. I just couldn't resist, you seemed so _eager_ to join your friend... but it's too soon. We have work to do."

Lancer could say nothing. Without pause, the King put a hand on his shoulder, and nudged him to walk by his side.

"Do you see how strong we've become, Lancer? This is power." He gestured to the charred, hollowed remains of the Field. "This wealth of resources, it's taken _years_ to harvest, through our blood, sweat, and toil. But we're seeing the fruits of our labor at last."

"What fruits? What have you _done?"_

As he finished speaking, Lancer again needed to cough. The King's grin spread.

"Our predecessor was soft. He lacked vision, and the strength to bring about meaningful change. But no longer. The expansion of our army has proceeded as scheduled, and soon we can begin the next phase."

A thought wandered to Lancer's head. Chills ran down his spine, mixing with his shortness of breath to create stronger trembles.

 _Predecessor... he means Old Dad! And he called him weak?! He ruled with an iron fist!_

"B-but why? What are you planning?"

"Nothing yet..." the King said. His tapered voice carried little emotion, but his features painted an entirely different story to Lancer. "I merely wish to consolidate our influence. The people have grown complacent in their tribute, they need a _reminder."_

Heedless of the air, and the sting to follow, Lancer's eyes enlarged. He stopped, and after an extra step further, the King as well.

"Tribute?"

The King maintained a neutral disposition. "Of course. It's a fair compromise: for ninety percent, the people may inhabit our territory. But anything less..."

Lancer choked. "N-ninety percent? That's _stealing!_ How are they supposed to live?!"

The King's grin faded, ever so slightly. And his pupils, boring squarely into Lancer's with a piercing gaze, shrank.

"In exchange for their tribute, we offer protection, and strength in numbers. The subjects will _survive_. But should we loosen our grip, and allow our authority to be challenged, we'll only open the door to further rebellion. Do you wish for the same fate as the Spade King?"

"But you're taking everything! These are your people, how can you _do_ this to them?!" Lancer's voice rose higher, beyond what he thought he could muster. "It's all wrong... you're not a king. You're just a tyrant!"

Through clenched teeth, the King seethed.

"Do you believe yourself incorruptible? We're the _same,_ Lancer. The crown will see to that in time."

"I don't care what you think! I'll NEVER be like you!"

The King stared. And Lancer returned his volleying gaze, determination flush within him.

"That's a shame. Truly."

The King lunged. His reflexes were too quick for Lancer to sidestep, and he took Lancer by the scruff of his collar. He raised him in the air like before, and held his at arm's length.

But Lancer didn't squirm. Nor did he panic. Rather, he fixed his stare upon the King. "What are you gonna do? Kill me, like that Ranger?"

The King laughed.

"Well, I suppose if you _insist..."_

The King dropped Lancer. And with a simple turn on the heel, he began to walk away. Lancer remained motionless, eyes stuck in place, watching his every step. His hacks and wheezes had reduced to only a gentle cough.

And then, from his backside, the faint symphony of boots caught his ear. He angled his head, and saw another group of Rangers on the march.

The pieces came together in his head. Lancer jumped to his feet, and before the Rangers came closer, he started to run.

* * *

To Kris, the Eastern Fountain looked just as they remembered.

The room filled with a burst of colors, cycling in an endless pattern. And as they watched the sequence pass by, time and time again, they had to confess they felt a bit of a rush. Standing in this room again, so close to the divide between light and dark— _far_ more interesting than the Field.

Of course, the room was merely an apparition, and of their own design. Such a thought was a splash of cold water to Kris, and with a slight frown, they shook their head.

From the doorway, their eyes scanned the room. Slumped at the foot of the fountain's basin, Ralsei's motionless form caught their attention. They narrowed their gaze, and checked his stats.

Ralsei's one hit point balanced on a razor's edge.

Kris walked forward. Their footsteps echoed from the walls, but they paid no mind. And when they arrived at Ralsei's side at last, they knelt, and nudged his shoulder.

"Wake up."

Nothing. They tried again, with a similar result.

Frustration bubbled in Kris' features. With little effort for care or prudence, they turned Ralsei over on his back, and shook him harder. "Wake _up!"_

Their final call finished the job with authority. Ralsei's eyes blinked open.

In his post-awakened daze, coupled with his health, Kris could see his sight was glazed and unfocused. But in a moment's time, his concentration honed upon Kris' features, and eye contact was established.

Ralsei's mouth opened. He gasped, a choked sound hardly above a whisper. The corners of Kris' lips trickled upward.

"It's time to rise and shine. Did you sleep well, prince?"

Ralsei could find nothing to say. Only his loud, petrified breathing filled the air. He wrapped his arms tightly around his chest, and tried to back away, but he merely bumped against the fountain basin. Kris responded with a rough, jagged hand to his shoulder, holding him in place.

 _"Look_ at me."

He had little choice in the matter. Ralsei turned, with trembles wracking his body, to see Kris' frigid glare waiting for him.

"What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" They brought their face just a little closer, and stared further into his eyes. "Look on the bright side—it _can't_ be worse than how you feel now. See?"

Kris pointed to his health meter, and Ralsei's eyes followed. 1 HP. They let loose a single chuckle.

"You know, you're a lot of fun, Ralsei. I mean that." Kris paused, an opportunity to cross their arms, and sit down fully. "Put your friends in your shoes. You think they hold out this long? You should be _dead,_ several times over... yet here you are, sucking down each breath like it's your last. That's some real spirit."

Kris snickered. They stuck their hand within their pocket, and emerged with Ralsei's SOUL in their fingers.

A faint gasp escaped his throat. He reached forward, but his sluggish pace left him predictable; Kris dangled his SOUL out, as if a prize to reach, and just as his hand came close, they simply yanked it away.

"Of course, you don't have forever. I only lasted a few hours without my SOUL, before I fell into that coma. Who knows what'll happen to you."

Kris brought the SOUL to eye level, and turned it over in their palm. No imperfections jumped to their eye, only a lustrous, smooth surface. Their lips became a thin line.

Without another word, they put it back in their pocket. All while Ralsei looked on, with unrelenting desperation. He choked, and a nauseating coughing fit ensued. Kris spared no attention to his reaction.

"But there's still one thing... why did we end up _here?"_ They waved their hand absently, gesturing to all around the room. "The Fountain's interesting, but it isn't what I planned. I wanted you to see _real_ terror."

Ralsei had regained his breath, a slow and even rise and fall to his stomach. He lifted himself to face Kris.

"T-terror...?"

Their toothed, wide eyed smile re-emerged.

"Yes. I wasn't lying, when I said I wanted to spare you the ending... but you're too stubborn. I don't have a choice."

Kris placed their hands on their knees, and stood. They stepped away from Ralsei, and for a moment's time they idled their stare upon the doorway. The colors of the Fountain continued to flood the room.

"Our battle's reaching its conclusion. I hadn't planned on dragging it out this long, but you three are formidable. Stronger than I expected." As they spoke, Kris looked down at their hand, and closed their fingers into a fist. And then, as they finished speaking, they brought their sleeve to their mouth, and coughed.

Spots of red stained the fabric of their armor's undershirt.

They winced. With a short, empty swallow in their throat, they took a breath.

"I'm doing this because I need to be certain. If I'm to guarantee my victory, I have to destroy your will to fight. And when you next see Susie and Lancer, I'm sure they'll tell you all about it."

Kris again took Ralsei's SOUL from their pocket. They glanced it over casually.

"I've just about run this thing dry. It's time."

Kris again replaced Ralsei's SOUL from where it came. Then, they brought their fingers to their chest, and pointed over their heart.

* * *

Smoke.

All around Susie, smoke rose. From the forest, from the earth, from the trees and leaves. The wind carried ash and soot, from places unseen, and to places unknown. The sun faded, blocked behind the dark, baneful clouds overhead.

And most prominently, smoke came from the figure of the clone before her. She watched its deep-seated glare, edged with malice and resentment, staring her right in the face. Even as its form withered away, entire bits at a time, to mix with the dust and cinder in the air.

But in its decaying state, the clone kept its voice.

"It looks like we'll finish this later... I do hope you enjoyed your rest. Now the real hell begins."

Susie could only scoff.

"Nah, man. You won't be coming back."

The clone gave a dim smile. With its sharp red eyes, it again met her own, for one final remark:

"Don't forget. I'll _always_ be with you."

Its voice faded to nothing in her ears. The final remnants of its body scattered, billions of particles of dust in the wind. And though she again resigned herself to silence, she decided to stand up.

The forest around her followed in the path of the clone, little by little. As the scenery faded away, the canvas of total darkness encroached.

She closed her eyes.

* * *

From the shadows of what remained of Field of Hopes and Dreams, Lancer watched the world pass with jaded eyes.

Again he could see the spires of the Card Castle, towering high above the eviscerated Field. If he looked closer, he could even catch a glimpse of the roof's parapet, and patrols changing hands every fifteen minutes. Near the center, he could see the spot of his first encounter with the King, and the Ranger.

And now, only his memories served as a reminder. A marker of a terrible, terrible event, forgotten to the machine-like stampede of time.

Lancer swallowed. Unblinking, he shifted his head, and scanned the rest of the landscape; a patrol circled close by, but soon would march into the distance. In his stakeout, he'd come to learn the castle carried endless surveillance, a group of soldiers always nearby, and on alert.

The King was paranoid.

A feeling of sickness gripped Lancer's stomach. This was the _C_ _astle,_ the crown jewel of the entire kingdom... now, just a burnt-out, fallen paradise. Everything was dead. Everything was gone. All that remained was the skeleton of combat, of destruction and anguish.

He wondered what Castle Town looked like. Or even beyond that.

 _Do you think yourself incorruptible? We're the same, Lancer. The crown will see to that in time._

Intrusive thoughts, without prompt nor desire, caused Lancer great distress. His mind returned to the King, of his wide, loathsome smile. His dilated eyes, rage and hatred burning within. His ironclad grip, wrapped around the throats of the weak.

He needed time to steady his nervous, fraught breath. With each passing heartbeat, and the throb of blood in his ears, he worked to steel his emotions.

Lancer looked out again, studying the Castle a second time. His eyes trickled along the walls, its decrepit, barren facade and crumbling rock. A cold chill swept his system.

This was once his _home._

He balled his hands in tight fists, dangling loosely at his sides. He turned away, disgust permeating the mere sight. The tyrannical King, in all his greed and exploitation, had sucked every last drop of life. This was a future shrouded in despair.

And it was something he couldn't accept. He wouldn't allow himself to.

He stood.

 _This isn't destiny... I can stop this. I swear on my life, I will NEVER become what you are._

With a slow, but deliberate step forward, Lancer moved himself from the shadows of the Field's edge. He approached the Castle, one stride at a time. His heart raced in his chest, and he fought back his sweltering of emotions within.

Yet still, he carried himself forward.

Only the crunch of gravel beneath his feet served as company to him. But he paid no heed, nor a second thought: the castle gates beckoned ahead. And with each passing step, he felt his rigidness fade, a calming sense overtaking his nerves. His breathing steadied.

The presence of Rudinn Rangers lurking nearby meant nothing to him. Nor the guards on the roof. His only feeling was of a light breeze fluttered at his feet, seeping up to his chest, and then above his head.

At last, he stood before the gates. With a firm hand, he pushed, and brought the doors wide open.

* * *

In the dark, Ralsei strained to see anything. Shapes, shadows, figures, whatever came and went. He didn't have much luck.

The Fountain was gone. The swath of colors, the same that offered relief and comfort, had extinguished; he could only assume it was removed by Kris, coinciding with their disappearance. Maintaining an apparition of that size was a cumbersome task, and it seemed they finally needed a moment to rest.

In doing so, their SOUL had returned to a neutral state. The same as when they first arrived, a great space of nothing all around. He had a feeling it wouldn't stay this way for long.

Minutes passed, stretched out for what felt to him like hours. Every muscle in his body flared with cascading waves of pain, to a point of near agony. But just when he thought he could tolerate no more, he at least heard a single, muted sound in the distance. An echo.

Another followed suit, identical to the first. More followed. A steady, rhythmic pattern he knew could only be footsteps.

Ralsei didn't care who it was. He opened his mouth, and sucked in a deep breath. With all his strength left, he forced his voice to the open, a scratched and fragile sound:

"Help..."

The footsteps intensified, bursting forth in a run.

A silhouette appeared in the distance, quickly coming near Ralsei. He watched as closely as he could. It was still too far in the distance to discern features, but the general shape became clear. He felt his eyes open wider.

It was _Susie._

Adrenaline burst within his body. He forced himself upright, against every pain in chest, every twinge piercing his gut. As she approached at last, the frantic surprise in her features were plain for him to see.

"Ralsei!"

She came to his side at last. And before he could utter anything more, she near tackled him in a tight embrace. He grimaced, exertion rippling across his countenance, but he made himself as still as he could.

Even so, his discomfort was clear to her. She released her grip quickly, and sat next to him. "Are you okay? Did you get your—"

"No... Kris has it."

Susie's face clouded, disappointment evident. But concurrently, she posed her next question: "How do you know for sure?"

Ralsei brought his lightly balled fist to his mouth, and a rack of coughs shook him throughout. Susie again offered a hand to his back, and on conclusion, he seemed grateful for the gesture.

"Kris appeared to me, with another vision. They _taunted_ me with my SOUL."

She wasn't sure how to proceed, if at all. Instead of hastily interrupting, she instead allowed a moment's gap to gauge Ralsei's intent. And true to her suspicions, he wasn't quite finished yet.

"Susie, what happened to you? Kris said they were feeding these visions to all of us, images of our worst fears..."

"Worst fears, huh? I'll give Kris props, they kinda got it right."

She allowed her dry, emotionless stare to remain fixed, pointed outward. She sighed.

"My vision was in the forest. I met a clone of myself there."

"A _clone?"_

Incredulity dripped from Ralsei's voice. Nevertheless, Susie nodded. "Yeah. I know it sounds stupid, but this thing was legit. Looks, voice, _everything_. It packed a pretty good punch, too... we got in a fight."

Ralsei felt his heart speed up. He reached over, and with his hand upon Susie's arm, concentrated his magic to check her health. But on closure of his eyes, he felt an intense pain at the back of his skull; he cut his efforts short, and gasped.

Susie watched this with a careful eye. And when it was all over, she again gave Ralsei's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Just take it easy, alright? Don't worry about me, you need to think about yourself for a change."

Even with his pained features intact, Ralsei shook his head. "Don't... don't say that," he mumbled, divided by shortness of breath. "Are you hurt? Please, I can help—"

"I'm not hurt that badly, man. I'm fine." Susie's interruption battered through, her inflection and tone unwavering.

Ralsei at last ceased his jitters, and made no further comment. But even so, he forged eye contact with Susie, and through this, waited for her to continue. And she obliged.

"The clone and I, we started talking a bit. It told me it wasn't just a copy, it was supposed to be my 'bad side.'"

"Your bad side?" Ralsei said. "How so?"

Her lips creased into a gentle frown, eyes finding her lap. "It kept trying to tear me down, I guess. Saying I'm an asshole, that I hurt people, all that shit. It _really_ liked telling me I haven't changed..."

She turned. Ralsei met her halfway, and for a quiet, still moment, two pairs of saddened eyes came together.

And then, without a sound, she again took Ralsei in a renewed hug. He returned the gesture as best he could, and in his arms, he could feel her tremble.

"I'm _trying_ to be better..."

She only gathered a mumble, before her voice gave way. Ralsei answered by rubbing circles on her back.

"You've come so far, Susie. You've come so far..."

She held their embrace for a moment longer, a chance to savor their shared emotions. But as time passed, she at last shied away, and she again looked Ralsei in the eyes. She faintly exhaled, through her nostrils.

"You know... it's kinda funny, actually. For all its big talk, we never finished our fight."

Ralsei cocked his head to the side. "You didn't? What happened?"

"I told it I didn't want to fight anymore. I wanted to prove its stupid ass wrong, and I guess I did. I'm here now, right?"

She couldn't help another chuckle, but with stark contrast to before: where apathy and hollowness once permeated, a burst of genuine emotion came free. Ralsei felt his lips trickle upward, his first smile in time he couldn't track.

The two fell in silence at last. She gave it ten seconds.

"... Ralsei, we need to get your SOUL back."

Though his countenance faded at the mention, he nodded all the same. "I know. Kris must be here somewhere, they'll still be carrying it."

On mention of their environment, Susie took the opportunity to look around. Though perhaps not as thick as before, the darkness surrounding the two was vast. "We're still in their SOUL, right?"

"Yes. It takes too much energy to sustain their visions, so we've returned to this 'default' state. I don't think Kris can control what we see anymore."

"About damn time," Susie said, "but that doesn't help us much right now. How're we gonna find them?"

"It'll have to be by chance. Lancer's probably here, too, we should keep an eye out for both."

At the mention of his name, Susie felt a rush within her veins. She stood. "Let's go, then. I'll help you walk."

She reached her hand out, for Ralsei to take. But just as he motioned to take the gesture, a rather shrill, but distinct voice caused them both to freeze in place.

"Hey! If you're gonna look for the Clown, you'll need more help. And don't think you can stop me."

Susie felt her lips curl into a wide, almost ear-to-ear grin. With his tongue sticking out, and staring right back a short distance away, Lancer's features were near identical. He broke into a sprint.

The chain of events was in perfect sync. With a small hop, Lancer aimed for Susie's arms, and she caught him beautifully. The shared embrace was immediate.

And for a few, jubilant moments, the two remained locked in perpetual stillness. Then, Lancer at last began to worm free, and Susie set him on the ground. The two created eye contact, and she studied him carefully.

"You good, Lancer?"

To hers and Ralsei's great relief, he gave a thumbs-up. "Yeah! I think so... it's been a lot, though. You want to hear about it?"

"Let's save it for later," Susie said. She turned back to Ralsei. "We have to find Kris first. Come on."

Again she held her hand out, for Ralsei to take. He did. She helped him to his feet.

But just as she turned heel, a smattering of echoed footsteps behind again her brought instant pause. From her periphery, she could sense the same from her companions. The gap wasn't long, before the words reached her ears.

"I'll save you the trouble."

Kris's voice was low, emotionless to boot. And on first reaction, Susie said nothing, and neither did Lancer or Ralsei. The latter needed to lean against her slightly for support, but even so, he turned to meet Kris in the eyes.

They proved unwilling to reciprocate. They kept their own stare fixed to their right hand, and within their palm, upon Ralsei's SOUL. A silent pall cast upon the three, and they waited. Ready to react as needed.

And that time came at last, when Kris idly tossed Ralsei's SOUL. It landed at Susie's feet.

She could only stare at the SOUL with hesitation, every detail subject to scrutiny. Her companions did the same, and a burgeoning impatience set in Kris' features.

"It's not a damn trap. Just go ahead, quit wasting time."

Susie didn't know whether or not to believe them, but the chance presented was too good to pass up. Almost subconsciously, she knelt, and scooped the SOUL carefully in her hands.

Ralsei reached forward. Without pause, Susie returned his SOUL to his waiting, unsteady grasp. He pressed his palm against his chest.

His SOUL disappeared inside. The strain melted from every muscle in his body, eliciting a sharp exhale. He felt his breathing calm, now a far more gentle pulse. And Susie watched this play out, with a wave of relief she couldn't hope to describe.

But after time had passed, she again looked to Kris.

"What's the deal? You're not the sharing type."

Kris felt a twitch beneath their eye.

"Don't take anything from it. This is only a courtesy." They crossed their arms as they spoke. "Without his SOUL, there's no point in our battle. It'll be short regardless, but I'd like to have a _little_ fun."

They shrugged.

"Besides. I've already taken his energy, and his health. He won't help you much."

From the corner of her eye, Susie again looked to Ralsei. Though his physical comfort remained leaps and bounds better, his HP meter still rested precisely at one. She knew even a glancing hit in battle would prove catastrophic.

Her concern leaked from her body language, and this was not lost upon Kris. They cleared their throat, again earning her attention.

"I must admit, you seem... different. How are you feeling?"

Susie couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously? What a question, coming from _you."_

Kris smiled. "Come now, I just want to hear your thoughts. I've worked so hard for you to have a nice stay, have I been a gracious host?"

Their voice betrayed their features. Every word from their mouth carried mockery, seething from their tone. Their glare became serrated, waiting for any weakness to cut down with fervent glee.

But Susie gave no such opportunity. She looked Kris dead in the eyes.

"It was a rough start. But it's getting better."

She delivered every word with earnestness, and she gauged for their reception. Kris said nothing further. Rather, they brought their hand to their mouth, and again coughed.

Blood speckled their glove.

Wide eyes overtook Kris' features. With haste, they rubbed their hand against their armor, and attempted to wipe clean the red stains. Susie watched this with a cautious eye, as did her teammates. And ultimately, it was Ralsei who spoke.

"Kris? Are... are you alright?"

" _Shut up!_ Just—stay out of this, got it?" They took a breath, rather harsh in their throat. "I don't need your damn pity."

Ralsei said nothing further, but he kept his attention squared upon Kris. Susie did the same. And as she looked them over again, she felt her wariness grow evermore; there was more attrition than she realized, the signs present in their body language.

The sagging eyes. Shortness of breath. Slumped posture, even a forced gasp at moments.

"It's not pity. You look terrible."

Against every sound, rational thought in her head, Susie took two steps forward, and approached Kris. Closer, she could see their face had turned a sickly pale, covered in sweat to match; their body language seemed jittery, far more noticeable up close than at a distance. Their pupils flickered around, unfocused.

She attempted a third step, and pressed her luck too far. Kris skittered backward, a desperate effort to make more space. "Get away! Get the _hell_ away from me!"

Susie watched the scene before her with astonishment. The difference became night and day, in the blink of an eye: Kris' collected demeanor had vanished, replaced for this panicking, twisted version. She needed to pry further.

"You know, Kris, I think you're _hiding_ something. Spill it."

"Don't be absurd," Kris said, and rather quickly at that. They extended their hand outward, beckoning to the darkness all around, and then they looked Ralsei square in the eyes. "How _could_ I? It's as Ralsei said, the SOUL has nothing to hide... I've shown you everything."

Kris paused. A pocket of silence came over the group, and in this time, their breathing calmed. They swallowed.

"... If I were you, I'd step back. Now."

Susie narrowed her gaze. But after an extra moment to linger, she heeded their suggestion, and rejoined Ralsei and Lancer. And once there, she nudged Ralsei's side.

"Ralsei, this isn't right. Do you see it?"

"Yes." Ralsei kept his voice at a minimum, and Susie leaned closer to hear him better. "This isn't how Kris behaved earlier. Something's changed."

Susie nodded, careful to make it a hurried gesture. "Maybe they got hurt? They're coughing up _blood,_ I can't—"

"You finished gossiping yet? We have business to settle."

Kris' statement was firm, tone again fused with control and authority. Susie straightened herself, and met Kris with a faint glare. They wore a perfectly neutral expression again, but after her attention came upon them, the corners of their lips tugged upward.

"Okay, then. Let's go."

In the space between the two parties, the bullet board appeared. A new battle commenced.

Ralsei felt his heart beat faster. The need to command his team again fell upon him, and as party leader, he had to keep them safe. But just one hit point gave him nothing to work with, nor could he hope to be effective in battle. He looked to his right.

"Susie, Kris is right. I don't think I can help much... will you be able to issue commands? I'll try to work up some energy, perhaps I can use a healing spell later."

Against his every expectation, she shook her head no.

"Don't bother. We're not fighting."

Every pair of eyes in the vicinity turned to Susie. But none carried quite the same shock, nor confusion, as Kris'.

"What...?"

"You heard what I said. We're not going to fight you."

Kris laughed. They made no effort to stay their emotion, reckless abandonment rampant. "You're _joking."_

Susie displayed no reaction, her countenance blank, and unwavering. Kris' amusement tapered, and seriousness returned to them in equal measure. They cleared their throat, honed glare unmoving.

"Do you have a death wish? I'll be happy to oblige."

Now it was Susie's turn for a chuckle, a light sound with little carrying power. She folded her arms. "Nope, I'm just realistic. You're not going to kill me, Kris. You're not going to kill _any_ of us."

"I wouldn't be so confident. Have you forgotten where you are?" With teeth bared, Kris' grin expanded further. "I can make things worse. I'll make you see phantoms you can't _imagine."_

"Like that clone? Get real. That was your shot, and you blew it."

She knew she pressed just the right button. Kris' eyes simmered in rage; all their anger came to the forefront, ready to burst. But now, she was presented with a chance to cut the fuse, and she stopped them before they could react.

"Kris, let me ask you something. When you created our visions, what were you hoping to accomplish?"

Kris said nothing, for a few long, drawn-out moments. But after such time, they breathed in through their nostrils, and out again.

"I wanted you to experience true fear. It would be my perfect victory."

Susie knit her brows.

"Your perfect victory, huh? Funny." In sequence, she glanced to Ralsei, and then Lancer. Both returned eye contact, and curiosity lined their features. "Because all you've done is shown us your _weakness."_

"Do tell."

Kris' voice carried no emotion, a flat drawl from the recesses of their throat. But their eyes painted a wholly different story. Susie could see the unrelenting hatred within, fixated upon herself, and her companions.

She refused to yield. With inquisitive eyes, she again scanned over Kris' every detail.

"I wasn't kidding, you know. You look like you're about to collapse."

"And you're not much better off," Kris said. "Get to the point."

"My _point_ is, why're you so eager to start a fight? You need a breather."

Kris swallowed the lump in their throat.

"I'd be giving the same advantage to you. I'm well aware what the clone did, I won't be repeating its mistake."

She merely shook her head, and returned her centered gaze to Kris. She watched their features darken.

"Nah, that's not it. It's not even about me. You're in a rush because you _have_ to fight." She gestured to the darkness surrounding them. "Why else would you bring us here, into your SOUL? You've been goading us along, putting yourself against us, because anger makes you stronger. It fuels you."

She paused, for a stretch long enough to collect her thoughts. The words pieced together on the tip of her tongue.

"And when you don't have hatred, you're weakened. That's why you need us to fight—if we choose to ACT, we'll just cut you off even more. Without anger, and spite, and all this shit, you can't _survive!"_

Susie ended her speech at last. And in the open space, it was Lancer that took a bold step forward.

"Susie's right! Maybe those visions were scary, but we won't fall for it any more!" His hand curled in a fist, and he brought it close to his chest. "You want me to be just like that King, hurting and stealing from innocent people. But it'll _never_ happen, you hear?"

Though he couldn't see it from his periphery, Susie gave Lancer a curt nod. And then she looked to Kris.

She found their expression impossible to place. But their eyes were squared entirely upon Ralsei, waiting for him to speak next. He knew it.

With great care, he allowed himself one step forward. Balance proved tricky, but Susie came to his side, and offered support. Lancer as well.

"Kris, I think I understand now... you said you wanted me to see a terrible vision, that the Fountain was an accident, but I don't think it was."

Ralsei stopped. After a moment's contemplation, he gently cleared his throat.

"The Fountain is a place of memories. Of goodbyes, and friendship, and adventure, and trust. Maybe you wanted something else, but the bond between our SOULs—it's _different._ It's stronger than your malice..."

Kris' blank, emotionless slate had fallen. Their eyes were enlarged, ever so slightly, and looking to their feet. Their body language seemed fidgety, detached from their surroundings. He felt concern swell within his chest.

"Kris...?"

They said nothing. They continued to stand in place, head down, and arms dangling loosely at their sides. Susie couldn't bear to watch any more.

"Do you see now, Kris? We started this fight to free your SOUL... but now, we'll need to try something else. And we have the roadmap."

She paused. A grin attacked her lips, as she turned to her companions.

"Ralsei, Lancer. It's time we ACT."

Her command earned firm nods from both. All three cycled through their options, to fight or to spare, and their choice was made abundantly clear. The team was united in its resolve.

From across the empty space, Kris lifted their face. Heightened emotion flickered across their eyes, with a stone-set jaw to punctuate. Their breathing turned slow, laborious through clenched teeth.

They forced themself to breathe. A choked gasp wrangled loose, out in the open for them to hear. Their hands tightened to fists.

"Stop it..."

The team paid no heed.

"I said _stop._ Who do you think you're fooling?" Kris forced a half-hearted laugh, but their tone revealed a far greater urgency. "Do you all want to die? Are you that stupid?"

No verbal reply emerged. But rather, Ralsei looked Kris in the eyes, and allowed himself a moment to stare. His thoughts began to wander.

These piercing red eyes, so filled with malice and hatred, brought a sort of pause to Ralsei. But it wasn't hesitation through fear, like before; no, this time, he sensed a sort of _change_. Kris' glare seemed to carry less of a cutthroat edge. He knew their eyes were the windows into their greatest weapon, their SOUL.

And within Kris, Ralsei could see a shift was taking hold. They became uneasy, anxious, _frightened._ Susie hit the mark dead on.

Without fear, and without hatred, their source of power was taken from them. And to win this battle, once and for all, the team would have to press forward.

"We're not stupid, Kris. This is the best way to proceed, for all of us."

"Then I want to make this very clear: if you choose not to fight, you _will_ die _._ I'll make sure of it, don't worry."

Ralsei lowered his head. But after a time to contemplate, and silence from all to usher his reply, he again brought his eye level to Kris. He felt himself ready his determination, standing his ground with every ounce of strength he could muster.

"It's a risk we're prepared to take. And we _will_ prevail..."

Kris cracked their knuckles. Their pupils dilated, ever so slightly.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Susie and Lancer turned. The normal target of Kris' attack, all three at the same time, had changed. Only Ralsei was within the bullet board.

One hit point left no margin for error. Lancer could only watch with stricken eyes, and Kris brought their hand to their chest. Their SOUL jumped to their palm, and their fingers closed tightly around. A light appeared from within.

Susie could sense Kris' intent in an instant. And with the wide range of their attacks, she knew she couldn't just push Ralsei away. She ran his front, and shielded his form with her own.

Kris extended their palm. Across the bullet board, a flash of white streaked. She closed her eyes tightly.

She felt a ripple along her chest, seeping from her shoulder down. She cried out, and buckled to her knees.

"SUSIE!"

Lancer was by her side in an instant, as was Ralsei. With haste, he checked her HP meter: from the half she had to begin with, a quarter more had fallen.

But Susie flattened her palm against the ground. With trembling arms for support, she forced herself to rise, and again she centered her attention upon Kris. She grit her teeth.

She expected a taunt. Another jab, another sarcastic remark, something to try and grate her nerves. But Kris gave no such effort. Rather, the sight before her made her double-take.

Each breath Kris took racked their body, near uncontrollable shivers to match. Their eyes were locked in a thousand-yard stare, and they blinked over and over again, with uneven swiftness. The distress upon their face was plain.

They brought their arm to their mouth, a motion that seemed to be a twitch. Yet again, they coughed.

And like before, they hacked up spurts of blood, lightly staining their sleeve. Their eyes danced across the red spots.

Kris' teeth began to chatter. Like Susie, they sank to their knees, and clutched their SOUL against their chest. She felt a twinge in her gut, regret and surprise in equal measure, and her teammates' expressions told her they felt similar. She turned to Ralsei.

"What the hell's happening?"

"Look at their health meter."

Susie followed his suggestion. She felt a light gasp from her throat, spilling into the open.

Kris' health had fallen to a quarter remaining, just like hers. Their attack put great strain on themself, too much to bear. And now she, and her teammates, were given pause by Kris' cries of agony.

All they could manage was to hold their SOUL close to their chest, and squeeze. Each breath came with exertion, their lungs filled with sharp hacks and pains.

Ralsei decided to speak.

"Kris, you've burned through all your energy. There's no sense continuing this."

His statement brought their heavy, overworked breathing to a slow crawl. They turned their face slightly, eyes meeting, and with jagged fingers, they planted their open hand against the ground. They forced themself to stand up, but not before stumbling halfway.

"Shut up..."

Their voice emerged only as a harsh, scraggly mumble. They again needed a long breath, and the air in their lungs caused a sting to set in. Even a tear streamed from their eye...

Ralsei found himself unable to reply. Not through words. But with his turn in battle, all he needed was laid out for him.

He chose to ACT. Without a moment's hesitation, his teammates did the same.

"We don't have to do this..."

His patience was met in the form of Kris' pained, desolate grimace.

"I said _SHUT UP!"_

The bullet board reappeared. Ralsei's SOUL again became the only target, and Kris raised their arm for a new attack. Their SOUL emitted a bright light, pointed outward and ready to burst.

He made no efforts to dodge. He only closed his eyes, and waited.

Moments passed. Save for his pounding heartbeat, and the throbbing in his ears, the battlefield fell entirely still.

He blinked his eyes open again, and stared.

Kris clutched their forearm with their other free hand, with great effort. Uncontrollable shivers wracked their body, cutting even their quick, shallow breathing to pieces. More tears ran freely from their blurred red eyes.

Then they spoke up.

"Why... why can't you just fight? Why do you need to keep _fucking_ this up?!"

Ralsei brought his hand to his chest, over his heart. He needed a moment to calm himself, his emotions thrown deeply out of line. Even with his strongest efforts, he found he could only whisper.

"We don't want to hurt you..."

"You don't want to hurt me?! Then how about you quit screwing around, and _give me what I want?!"_ At last Kris lowered their arm, and their SOUL with it; they shifted their gaze to Susie. "Go ahead, Susie. Beat me to a god damn pulp, I'm giving you your chance! This is what you've been waiting for, right?!"

A frown had descended upon her, sadness permeating her features. She shook her head.

"No. We've fought enough, Kris."

Kris' eyes widened further. Their attention scanned across the three, to Lancer, to Susie, and lastly, to Ralsei. All carried her resolve, worn upon their features, and plain for them to see.

There would be no more combat.

Kris' hold upon their SOUL tightened. The light again burst forth, and they aimed their palm at Ralsei. He offered no resistance.

The attack began its charge. Sweat beaded at Kris' forehead, mixed with the strain upon their features. They concentrated every fiber of their being, desperately digging for every last ounce of strength.

With tensed muscles, and a guttural shout to accompany, they let their attack fly free. For a brief flicker, the bullet board filled almost to its entirely, surrounding Ralsei's SOUL. No chance of escape, no opportunity to dodge.

But one final card had yet to be played. Just like before, Susie sprinted to Ralsei's front, and stood tall over him. Lancer joined her.

With open eyes, they readied themselves for the strike to come.

And they watched it all.

They watched the wave of overwhelming energy dissipate. They watched the bullet board fall empty. They watched Kris cry out, dropping their SOUL at their feet. And they watched them collapse to their knees, shaking with their own sobs, and acute gasps of pain.

The attack was over. The turn again shifted to the team.

Ralsei motioned to ACT. With a slight limp, he walked forward, and across the open space to Kris. Susie and Lancer exchanged glances, their nervousness on full display, and then ran to join his side.

Kris paid no heed to their approach, wrapped firmly within their own torment. But as Ralsei knelt at their side, and placed his hand upon their shoulder, they looked up at last.

To accompany their tear-stained cheeks, Ralsei could see their pointed red eyes had turned glassy. And his own weren't that far behind.

He spoke with a soft, gentle tone.

"Kris... _it doesn't have to be this way_. You don't have to hurt like this any more..."

The tears continued freely from their eyes, for longer still. They avoided eye contact at all costs. And so, to afford herself a better look, Susie decided to come to Kris' side, and she sat.

"He's _right,_ man. All this hate and anger, it's just going to tear you up... and I don't want to see that happen. None of us do."

Lancer nodded. "Yeah! I know there's a lot of good in you, we've all seen it a bunch! It's just hiding right now, waiting to come out."

Ralsei felt full agreement with both their sentiments. And with an inquiring glance, he waited for Kris' reaction. They responded by at last meeting Ralsei with eye contact, once again.

The red in their eyes remained. But the heated edge they carried for so long, swirling with malice and bloodlust, had dulled further. He could see only a great sadness, and mingled with tears, their sorrow.

"Why are you doing this?"

Kris' voice came as a whisper. The need to choke back their emotions proved daunting. But after they allowed themself enough time to gather their thoughts, they worked to summon the words on their tongue.

"... Why are you still trying to help me? _Why?"_ Ralsei opened his mouth to refute, but they cut him off before he could begin.

"All I've done is insult you. I berate you, call you worthless, start fights—I've put you through hell. How can you keep trying to get _through_ to me?" They brought their hand to their temple, and shook their head. "I don't understand..."

None dared to speak out of line, withholding a rushed answer. The situation before them was fragile, and Ralsei spared no qualms toward taking the time to get this right.

On its face, the question wasn't outlandish. Through their own admission, they raised a valid point: this battle had taken them, _all_ of them, to the brink. His HP rested on a knife's edge. Susie was bruised, battered, and worn to her limit. Lancer fared little better.

Kris was right. Hell _was_ upon them.

And yet, to Ralsei, it seemed clear as day.

Memories of days before swept through his mind, of moments shared with Kris in conversation. Discussions of SOULs, of emotions, of desires and hopes and dreams—and the bond between their SOULs. A bond so strong, and enduring, not even this could make it give way. Not now, and not ever.

He had no doubt.

"We care about you, Kris. We're here because we want to help... and as long as we're able, we're going to try. You know that."

A confused, agitated expression came upon Kris. Again they looked to Ralsei, and this time, they stared into his eyes. "But _why?_ I've tried my damn hardest to make you hate me..." As their voice tapered off, they shifted to Susie. "You have no reason not to."

She crossed her arms.

"I can think of a couple. Remember a few days ago, when we talked about ACTing?"

A moment's pause overcame the group. As the seconds passed, Kris' face fell progressively mute, but she could see the gears whirring in their head. "Yes... What about it?"

Man, the answer's right there. I haven't forgotten about the kid that taught me to ACT, and called me their friend... I don't hate you. I want you to be _yourself_ again."

At this, Lancer nodded. Even further, he came to Kris' side, and looked them dead in the eyes.

"Clown, I've been in your shoes. I gave you lots of trouble when you first came here... but even through that, you've been a really great friend. And I want to do the same for you."

When his voice fell quiet, a perfect stillness came upon the four. But after time enough had passed, Ralsei merely closed his eyes, and let his thoughts flow naturally.

"Kris, do you see what you've created?"

They blinked. Again confusion washed over them, but they chose to keep their tongue in check. And Ralsei was grateful such, enabling him an opportunity to assemble his ideas.

"I'm not talking about the visions, or your SOUL, or our fight. I'm talking about _us._ Even if it's been brief, our time together has been special... because of how we all care for each other. I want to be here for you, as do Susie and Lancer—and I _know_ if our positions were switched, and it was us in danger, you would do the same."

He put his hand upon Kris' shoulder. He felt their tension melt away at the touch.

"We're all going to stay by your side. And _nothing_ can change that."

Ralsei wrapped his final thoughts, and let his hand slowly slide from Kris' shoulder. Tranquil overcame the group once more, and with it, all remained motionless. The only sound to be had was of Kris' breathing, still a bit troubled, but softer now.

Until, they extended their arm outward, and retrieved their SOUL from the ground. Susie tensed, as did Lancer. But Kris made no sudden movements, instead turning the SOUL about in their hand, and gazing at the surface.

Then, they brought their hand closer to Ralsei. With uncertainty, he looked.

Meeting his eyes was a gash, running across the SOUL's surface. The wound. The gathering point for all Kris' negative energy, and the damage he himself once tried to repair.

"Do you know why you weren't able to heal me?"

To say Kris' question came as a surprise was a great understatement. Ralsei found himself unable to articulate his thoughts, and thus, he remained quiet. But Kris glanced over his features, and his anticipation was plain for them to see.

"Through everything, I've come to learn a lot about my SOUL... no amount of magic can heal this scar. It's impossible for you to repair it."

A small frown fought its way onto Ralsei's lips. Again he wore his emotions on his sleeve, and like a virus, it spread to his teammates. Susie felt an urge to speak out, though to say what, she couldn't be certain.

But Kris wasn't quite finished yet.

"I don't want you to, anyway. Only I can do this."

Ralsei felt his breath halt in his lungs. Susie and Lancer weren't far behind. And Kris responded only by looking at them in sequence, left to right.

"I've put you all through everything I can. I've tried to make you suffer, and feel pain, and you _still_ can't make yourselves hate me." They chuckled, a near-raspy sound emerging quickly from their throat. "Maybe I've just seen your true colors... and mine, too."

In their hands, their SOUL beckoned. They swallowed the lump in their throat.

"... It's time you all get out of here."

Their grip on their SOUL tightened. Susie instinctively flinched, as did Lancer; but there was no blinding light from their hands like before, nor did the bullet board reappear. Rather, there were no signs for a battle at all.

That is, until Ralsei looked above Kris' head. He was met with their health meter, steadily falling. His heart skipped a beat.

"Kris! What are you—"

"Just let me do this! Let me finish..."

They spoke through gritted teeth, and their pupils shrank all the while. Their concentration was centered wholly upon their task, and as the seconds sped by, their health meter began to drop faster.

Ralsei's heart screamed out, to interfere, to stop Kris in their tracks _._ But his brain stayed his hand, and kept it planted firmly to his side.

Every pair of eyes watched the health meter closely, its descent nearly complete. The strain had leaked into Kris' features, great exertion and shortness of breath swallowing them whole. But still they pressed on, heedless to all concerns, and hesitation.

10%.

Ralsei finally tore his eyes away. He braced himself.

5%.

Lancer went to Susie's side, grabbing her tightly, and burying his face. She reciprocated, holding him as close as she could.

1%.

The bar lingered, just for a moment longer. Ralsei's eyes, open wide, sucked in every detail with panic.

And he saw, for the first time in what felt an eternity, a faint smile upon Kris' lips.

"Goodbye..."

With their hit point enduring, the light burst from Kris' hands. Everything around Ralsei kicked up in a swirl, and when he closed his eyes, he knew no more.

* * *

For just a moment longer, Susie decided to remain still.

The cool earth beneath her palms, and the tickle of grass to accompany, told her everything she needed. In the Field of Hopes and Dreams, she savored everything: the warn wind around her, sifting her hair about her face. The touch of soft dirt. The sway of tree leaves above.

And this was no illusion. At last, she had returned to her physical form. Free from Kris' SOUL.

Susie opened her eyes, and without pause, motioned to sit up straight. She found little resistance, with no soreness or strain to be had. She cast a curious eye to her vitals.

And it was there she discovered her health bar had filled completely. She felt her heart leap in her throat.

But before any further inventory, she was interrupted by a stirring to her left. She turned, and discovered the sight of Lancer, straggling to his feet from a prone position. She went to him at once, and he caught sight.

"Susie...?"

She said nothing, but rather, offered her hand. He accepted graciously, and she helped him to his feet. Eye contact sprouted between them, for a quiet spell in each other's presence.

And then, Susie knelt. Lancer stepped forward, and entered her renewed embrace. She brought him close.

"It's okay, Lancer. It's okay..."

Against her shirt, she felt a damp stain begin to emerge. She paid no mind.

Time went by. Susie made no effort to track its passage, and in her arms, neither did Lancer. But as he sobbed quietly, muffled in her chest, she gave him a quick check; she saw, just like herself, that his health had returned to a good place.

She found tears of her own proved threatening. Again she tightened her squeeze, just a bit.

For a little while longer, the two fell entirely still. But then she heard a shuffling to her left, and footsteps ensued. Again she turned her head. And as she did, her eyes were met with the sight of Ralsei, standing before her.

No longer did his haggard, broken form fill her eyes. He looked perfect.

And his health meter told much of the same.

She could only continue to stare, as Ralsei approached her side, and quietly sat down. He offered her a faint smile, and the two maintained eye contact, for a moment or two longer. She paid close attention to his features.

She could discern his expression, wavering in steadfastness. His breathing, much of the same.

And then, with a sharp gasp bursting free, he lunged forward to take Susie in his own embrace. When the momentary surprised had passed, she leaned closer, and allowed him to rest his head against her shoulder. She could feel his breathing, soft, and with even tempo. No pain or suffering.

And for time untold, the three remained this way, in the presence of each other. None wanted to end the group embrace, and stillness overtook them entirely. But at last, with a slight shift in position, Lancer wormed himself free, and stood up straight. The others followed suit.

On her feet, there was one final spectacle. Across the open clearing, lying flat in the same spot as their battle before, was Kris.

She ran quickly ahead, garnering the renewed attention of her companions. When they saw her reasons for haste, they too went forward. And in just a few short strides, they all caught up, and took a careful look down.

There were no visible wounds upon Kris. To Ralsei, they even looked _peaceful,_ as if they were only sleeping. Their chest rose and fell slowly, with a steady pace.

Full HP.

Ralsei felt a small, emotional smile tug at his lips. He sat, and after a time of observation, his companions did the same. Quietly they waited, perhaps with uncertainty, but anticipation in far greater measure.

And not longer after, they too stirred.

The first sign was Kris' mouth, falling open ever so slightly, and a light groan escaping. Their right hand twitched, fingers closing and opening again.

Their curtain of hair served to cover the upper portion of their face. As Kris awoke at last, they slowly came to sit upright, and after a moment of rhythmic breathing, they lifted their head. They stared outward.

The three could see Kris' features clearly. And every voice caught in their throats, mouths falling open.

Their piercing red glare had vanished entirely. In its place emerged a new color, a pair of soft, gentle, brightened _green_ eyes.

"Ralsei...?"

He said nothing, not on first contemplation. All he could manage was to crawl forward, and bring himself a little closer to Kris. His stare was unblinking, lost deeply within their gaze.

That is, until Kris brought a hand forward, and waved it in front of his face. A smile trickled across their lips.

"You okay?"

A light, involuntary breath escaped him. But after he regained his focus, he looked to Kris once more.

"Yes, Kris. But that's not important... how do you feel?"

Kris inhaled through their nose, and looked up to the treetops. "I feel—different. More relaxed, I think." They brought their hand to their chest, and placed their palm gently over their heart. "I'm not shaking any more... I don't even feel sick."

Eye contact was re-established with Ralsei. Within him, he felt a wave of warmth, of joy and relief, the likes of which he couldn't begin to describe.

"... Did you use your magic again?"

Before Ralsei could respond, it was Susie that beat him to the punch.

"Dude, do you not remember _anything?"_

Her voice dripped with incredulity, more than she intended. Kris' smile faded a bit.

A moment's reprieve gave them time to scour their memories. And in their search, fragments pieces came rushing back. Bits of memories distorted. They pictured them all, one at a time.

Red eyes. A white SOUL. The Fountain. The Castle. The forest. The bullet board...

All in the clearing could only watch, as Kris' features fell further crestfallen. They angled themself away, lowering their head, and bringing their sleeve up to their eyes. A clear effort to hide their emotions.

It was no use.

A stray teardrop, descending from their downcast eye, fell to the ground. Quickly they brought their hand to the source.

"I remember..."

Their voice could go no higher than a whisper. But there was no need for anything further.

A choked gasp erupted from Kris, accompanying their lifted face for all to see. The tears had begun anew, and with a rush, they took Ralsei in their arms. The squeeze put on caused him a shortness of breath, but he didn't care.

They'd already buried their face in his shoulder. He could hear them mumble the same apology, over and over again.

He could do nothing more, but put his arms gently around their form, and give their back a gentle pat.

"It's alright, Kris... everything's okay..."

He felt them extend their arms, and shy away from the shared embrace. "Wh-what if it's not over? Will... will we have to fight again?"

Heartbreak laced every word Kris spoke, a crushing sound to every ear in the clearing. But even through this, Ralsei kept his conviction firm.

"Hold still."

Kris followed his command quickly, after a final wipe of their eyes. And with nothing more said, he reached forward, and placed his hand upon Kris' chest.

He closed his eyes, and concentrated. With all his energy restored, it proved a far easier task than he'd become used to. And after a moment of searching, Kris' SOUL appeared at last.

They all saw, just like their eyes, that the red in Kris' SOUL was gone. Only green was left.

Susie's first instinct was to turn to Ralsei. Again he seemed transfixed, eyes glued to the sight before him; but after she gave him a faint nudge, he blinked, and realized his expertise was needed.

"Kris, it wasn't my magic. This was your own doing..."

Kris kept their eyes fixed to their SOUL for a moment longer, before again turning to Ralsei. "But what _is_ it? What's happening to me?"

Despair was present in their voice, tone to match. But to their great surprise, Ralsei responded with a wide, genuine smile.

"Susie, Lancer, do you remember my lecture about SOULs? In the hospital?"

Susie had to scrape a bit to recall. Lancer came to his recollection first, and piped up. "Yeah! About colors, right?"

Ralsei nodded. Then, with his sole attention to Kris, he spoke softly:

"Kris, the red SOUL is the most powerful of all. It's filled with determination, more than I could imagine... and yours, perhaps even greater than that. The strength you had, we saw it firsthand in battle."

"Had?"

He felt a rush of euphoria. He scrambled to put his thoughts to words.

"Had. Look at what's happened, see? Your SOUL's different now. It's changed!" He needed to steady his tone, excitement growing with every word. "It's green now. And a green SOUL is the color of _kindness!_ It's weaker than before, yes, but all the hatred and anger—it's _gone._ It's all gone..."

Finished at last, Ralsei needed to take a breather. But he was keenly aware of the looks of confusion he'd generated, from one in particular.

"Gone? Ralsei, I... how?"

Ralsei's smile proved unrelenting. He again crawled a bit closer to Kris, and offered a hand on their shoulder. They responded only with eye contact, and for a brief moment, he let himself fall into their striking green eyes once again.

The bliss within his gut was unassailable. A million thoughts ran through his head, each as joyous as the last. And now was the time for everyone to understand.

"Kris, your SOUL's power comes from your feelings. When it was red, it was filled with all your love and care, but mixed with repressed anger, and resentment—we've seen it in battle. Your SOUL was so powerful because all your emotions were in conflict with each other, and it boiled over in the form of the wound."

He could see Kris' features drop further, grief again coming upon their features. But he wasn't nearly finished yet.

"But now things have changed. All those excess negative feelings made your SOUL volatile, and now they've disappeared. That final technique you used, it took all of your strength to close the wound... and it _worked._

He smiled.

"And now, all that's left is compassion. And kindness, and mercy, and forgiveness... what's left is you, Kris."

The well of words became dry. Ralsei let himself fall quiet, and kept only an attentive eye upon Kris. Gauging their reaction.

And from their body language, they revealed little. Until, after moments untold, they at last reached to their chest, and gently pressed. Their SOUL appeared in their palm, and they brought it closer to their eyes.

The surface was immaculate. No blemishes nor flaw could be seen, only a smooth, brilliant green heart. In their eyes, everything about it was perfect.

It was _their SOUL._

Kris brought their hand closer to their chest. They could feel the energy encapsulated within, throbbing with life and vibrancy. There would be no more agony, no more distress, no more pain and misery.

They could feel their emotions swelter. They closed their eyes tightly, and dipped their head, hiding their face from the others. But the sounds they couldn't suppress, the hiccups and gasps from their crying, gave them away.

Without hesitation, Ralsei came closer, and again took Kris into his embrace. He could feel them shift in his arms, to return the gesture in full, and again rest their head gently against his shoulder.

Pure elation dominated his every emotion. And only a voice near his side could puncture the bubble.

"Man... you're both still nerdy as hell. Never change, okay?"

Both Ralsei and Kris turned their heads, with the latter giving his eyes a wipe mid-motion. Susie offered only a grin, and Lancer followed suit. The only difference between the two was his signature tongue, sticking out.

Kris and Ralsei looked at each other. For all of two seconds, nothing was said.

Then, the ice broke. Ralsei couldn't help himself from a brief chuckle.

The reaction caught fire. Kris found themself laughing too, faintly at first, and then picking up steam. Ralsei again joined in. Susie and Lancer couldn't resist, nor did they want to.

For those few, wonderful moments, the clearing filled with their shared joy, their camaraderie and friendship.

It was a moment to be stowed away, and cherished in memories. Hopefully forever...

But soon enough, as their laughter subsided at last, Kris allowed themself a deep breath. They again angled their head to Susie, and came to their feet. Before she could say anything further, they closed the space between, and took her in a near bone-crushing squeeze. Their strength surprised her greatly, and she released a groan from contact.

But the grin across her lips only spread further. She returned the hug back in full.

"Thank you..."

Kris' quiet, hushed remark caused her to raise an eyebrow. After time enough, she extended her arms, and met them with a questioning glance. "For what?"

A bit of sorrow cropped upon their features, lips pursed to match. They looked down at their feet.

"I mean, it's kind of a lot. You know?" Kris offered a half-shrug. They paused, allowing them time to collect their thoughts.

And when such a time came, they again lifted their head to gaze into her eyes.

"Just... thank you, Susie. Thank you for _everything..."_

She said nothing, nor did she feel a need. She instead lifted her hand, and gave their shoulder a gentle squeeze. The gesture evoked a memory in her, of the same motion in front of the closet doors.

To her, that wonderful day felt so long ago. But she knew now, without question, there were many more to come.

With a small step to their right, Kris came to Lancer's front. They knelt, and came to his eye-level; he wore a faint, but still noticeable grin, and his tongue accompanied.

"You're a really great friend, Lancer. And you're going to be a wonderful king, too."

His grin widened. He ran forward, and just as Kris opened their arms, he charged in. The embrace came in a flash.

But unlike with Ralsei and Susie, he felt little sense in wasting time. After a few more seconds, he wiggled free, and Kris let him go to accommodate. He offered a thumbs up.

"Glad you're back, Clown! We've missed you a lot."

Susie nodded, and Ralsei followed in her stead. Kris glanced down to their armor, focusing upon the spot of their SOUL.

"So am I..."

Ralsei stepped forward. Kris turned to meet his gaze, and their reward came as a warm smile.

"It's going to be different now, Kris. We can all be _together_ now, in peace."

Kris said nothing. Rooted in place, they merely eyed their feet, as the moments ticked by. A silence overtook the clearing, but not one derived from tension: this was pure relief from all, and enjoyment in each other's company.

A warm breeze sifted across the Field. And as they stared across the horizon, Kris' eyes shined as bright as ever.

They put their hand softly over their heart.

"I'm going to be better... I swear I'll do my best. For all of you."

Before any could speak, their gaze whirled in a panorama. Lancer first.

"Lancer, I promise you this: whenever you need me, I will always be here for you. Whether it's to close a Fountain, or aid the people of the Dark World, or someone to listen to splat noises with. I'll _be_ here."

The gratitude upon his features was clear to all. He nodded, with vigor, and allowed his smile to maintain.

Kris turned to Susie.

"Susie, you've had to deal with a lot of my problems recently. The least I can do is return the favor, whenever something troubles you... will you give me that chance?"

A rather sheepish, but wholly sincere grin attacked her lips. She too nodded.

They turned to Ralsei at last. Their smile was poignant.

"Ralsei, you'll _never_ have to feel alone again. I promise, if you'll have me, I'll always be here for you..."

Their voice trailed off, and again their eyes fell to their feet. But at their side, they heard a shuffling, and a hand again came upon their shoulder.

"Kris, you don't even have to ask. We'll be happy to have you."

From the corner of their eye, Kris gave a quick glance. And when they turned their head fully to meet Ralsei, they nodded with a smile.

A pause overtook the group, for a few still moments. Broken by Kris adding one last remark.

"... One last thing. I still need to get you that hot chocolate." Their statement had been directed to Ralsei, but upon conclusion, they turned to meet Susie and Lancer in their gaze. "I think I owe _all_ of you. Maybe later today?"

With a small grin, Susie crossed her arms. "You know it, dude. We're in."

Kris put their hand to their mouth, a futile attempt to cover their greatly widened smile. And as they did so, Ralsei took one final moment to look within Kris' eyes.

He gently sighed. He felt himself entirely content, a lightened spirit within his very being.

"Come on, Kris. It's time we get you home."

* * *

Across the kitchen and back, a stream of footsteps flowed.

Asriel could only watch the scene unfold before him. Toriel's nervous, fidgety stomps, an endless cycle from one end of the room to the next. But more pertinent to him was the telephone, enclosed firmly in her left hand.

He cleared his throat, a necessary step toward freeing his voice.

"When do you think they'll call back?"

Toriel could only sigh. She reversed her course, and approached Asriel and the sofa. But before she spoke, she cast a uninterested glance to the oven's clock: just a sliver past 5 AM.

"This early in the morning, I doubt there are many on duty at the police station. We might have to wait a little longer."

Asriel scowled, despondency attacking his countenance. He leaned back into the couch, arms crossed, and feet planted flat against the floor. "I don't even know how much they'll help. I already checked the place they found Kris last time, I didn't see anything there."

Toriel nodded, but her saddened frown sapped all emotion from the gesture. "I'll drive around town again shortly. But I'm not sure—"

Her voice was halted on the spot, by the sound of the front door. The metal knob clangored, and slowly, the entrance pushed open.

And into the foyer, with a lone footstep forward, came Kris. Their eyes fell upon their brother, and for a fleeting moment, everything fell entirely still.

Then it burst.

"KRIS!"

At once, Asriel shot to his feet and ran forward, with Toriel on his heels. Before Kris could utter so much as a sound, they were swept up in another great big hug. Only the sound of his breathing filled their ears, until he finally spoke:

"Kris, we were so worried! Where did you _go?!"_

They mumbled something into his shirt, incomprehensible. Recognizing such, he released his embrace, and his sibling nearly tumbled to the floor. Nevertheless, he put his hands on their shoulders, and looked them dead in the eyes.

"I woke up a couple hours ago, and you weren't in the house... are you alright?" As he spoke, he looked them over carefully, scanning for nicks and bruises. But to his faint surprise, he found no such marks.

In fact, they even seemed _better_ to him. And when he heard their voice, clear and concise, his assumption was proven all the more.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry, I was hoping you wouldn't notice... I had something to do."

Kris stepped out of the doorframe. And it was then, for the first time, that Asriel and Toriel laid eyes on their friends. Ralsei, Susie, and Lancer.

She cast a curious glance to her child. They responded only with fingertips to their chest, and the closure of their eyes. A light materialized in their palm, and maintained for a short interval.

And when the light faded at last, they held their hand outward, and allowed their family a better look. The sight awaiting them was of their green SOUL.

Toriel put her hand to her mouth. Asriel's body language wasn't far behind.

"Is... is that...?"

"It's my SOUL. My friends and I, we finally healed it." Kris' voice became faint, emotional smile to match. "I won't have any more nightmares..."

Asriel could discern the sentiment in their voice, feelings laid bare on their sleeve. He responded only with another step forward, and (more gently) wrapping his arms around them. Kris was quick to return the hug.

He could feel their heartbeat, against his chest. He closed his eyes, and allowed a memory to stray into his mind:

 _It will all be okay, my child... I have faith it will work out in the end._

At the time, Asriel thought she couldn't have been certain. But it was clear to him now, that his mother's faith, and poise, and calming belief—she was _right._ Even with his eyes closed, he could picture her smile, as she watched the sight before her now.

And beyond that, he could visualize the smiles of everyone else, too. Of Ralsei. Of Susie, and Lancer, and even his own. But none could come _ever_ come close, in pure relief, and joy, and happiness, to that of Kris'.

The smile of his little sibling. He gently exhaled.

"... Do you have a story to tell, Kris?"

They shifted their head slightly, to look up at their brother. They offered a faint smile.

"I do. But we should probably sit down."

* * *

 _The next chapter will be the last._

 _To everyone that has stuck with this story, and enjoyed it—thank you. I cannot state enough what it means to me._

 _Thank you._


	20. Chapter 20

In the early hours of the morning, only the sounds of Kris' account filled the walls of the Dreemurr home.

With everyone gathered in the living room, Toriel and Asriel listened with rapt attention, folded hands, and more often than not, widened eyes. And after Ralsei took the time to introduce himself to Toriel at last, and explain his origins in the Dark World, Kris left nothing to mystery: from the first hatching of the plan, to the journey through the forest, and Kris' SOUL, everything was left in the open. They made no effort to hide the severity of their battle, nor cover up the truth.

And of course, at the proper moments, they deferred to their friends. Susie offered a few words on her experiences, as did Lancer, and Ralsei. And all accounts came together, bound into a final, cohesive retelling.

And after time enough, Kris came to the end at last. They watched their family closely waiting for a first reaction. It was Toriel that took the initiative.

"To put yourselves at such great risk..." Her voice tapered away, a chance to bring a handkerchief to her eye. But when she concluded this, she continued. "Is your SOUL truly healed, Kris? Are you quite certain?"

A direct question, straight to the point. Kris responded not through words, but rather, with action: they placed their hand upon their chest, and brought their SOUL into the open. Again their family looked it over, and just as before, they found themselves captivated.

"I think it'll be better now. I really do..."

A yawn encroached their speech, rendering their words a jumble mess of sorts. From his spot on the couch, Asriel glanced at the clock in the kitchen. Nearly an hour and a half has passed from Kris' return home, and he decided to move on his thoughts.

"Hey, Kris?"

Asriel earned their singular focus. He took a moment to study their features, and from there, exhaustion's dominance leaped out at him. "Listen... it might be a good idea for you to get some sleep. After everything that's happened, I'm sure you need it."

He wasn't quite sure what reaction he'd receive, but to his mild surprise, Kris offered full agreement. "Yeah... I think we _all_ need it." They shifted their gaze to their friends as they spoke, and though they did their best not to show, they could sense similar fatigue in each.

Toriel stood.

"Asriel, please get some blankets from the closet."

He understood at once his mother's intent, and moved to act on her request. As he departed the living room, she then faced Susie, Lancer, and Ralsei. "If you all would like, I'd be happy to arrange for more comfortable places to rest. I'm sure we have a few spare pillows."

Susie inclined a bit further in her armchair, footrest rising with the action. "I don't think I'll need one... but thanks for letting us stay."

Toriel smiled. "It's no trouble. We're glad to have you here."

Susie said nothing further. Rather, she closed her eyes, and tilted her head to the side against the back of her seat. Lancer followed a similar path in the other armchair; from his spot on the couch, Ralsei instead shifted to Kris. And they returned eye contact, albeit with a bit of an unfocused glaze in their eyes.

Kris spoke only just above a mutter.

"Do you mind if I head upstairs?"

Ralsei straightened his posture a bit, hands resting on his knees. "Not at all, Kris. I think Asriel's right, a bit of rest would do us all good." Kris nodded once in reply, and let free a long, drawn out breath.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good night, Ralsei..."

He bid Kris the same. And after vocalizing a (very slightly) louder departure—to muted response, from equally exhausted companions—they made their way to the stairs, traveled up the flight, and began down the upstairs hall. They opened their bedroom door, and entered.

Without a sound, Kris climbed into bed. Their head barely hit their pillow before they went out like a light.

* * *

 _Sunlight._

 _For a few, glacial-paced moments, all Kris could discern were white and yellow spots. The light streaming in their eyes proved far too strong, necessitating action; they brought their hand to their face, and blocked themself from exposure._

 _Their efforts did the trick. In time, the spots faded, and as their eyes adjusted, the light's intensity with it. Kris blinked in rapid succession, and when they lowered their hand at last, they gazed outward._

 _With clarity, the sight before them brought all other thoughts to a pause._

 _Kris stood upon an enormous, bountiful field of flowers. Flowers of all shapes, and all sizes, and all colors, running in the horizon without limit, and without interruption. There were no trees to be seen, nor other features; this long, perpetual stretch of land was all to be had. A canvas of rainbow, placed beneath an immaculate blue sky, and unobstructed sun._

 _A warm breeze flickered, causing the smaller flowers nearby to wilt a little in its wake. Kris' hair shifted about their face, but they paid no mind. They merely closed their eyes, and stood in place. A chance to savor the moment..._

 _"Hey! Would ya slow down a bit?!"_

 _Kris re-opened their eyes. They turned, and in the distance, they could see three individuals. Though they were a bit far from their position, their voices carried in the wind, just enough to be heard._

 _And the sound was unmistakable. It belonged to a close friend of theirs._

 _Kris took off in a sprint. It was clear to them, at a quick glance, that Susie was moving away; they could see her pursuit of another, smaller figure, barreling off with spurts of gleeful laughter._

 _And just behind them, there was a third. One in a green tunic, pink scarf, and pointed hat to match._

 _As they blotted out all distractions around them, Kris felt no exhaustion in their run. No shortage of breath, nor need to slow down or stop. Rather, it seemed to them their energy only grew further, guiding their every step with purpose._

 _Whether or not they were aware of Kris' approach, it didn't matter. They would be with their friends._

 _And after just a few more strides, they came to them at last. Their footsteps in the soft, fertile earth alerted the three to their presence, and all turned to face them. Kris' gaze settled upon Ralsei first._

 _Beneath the warm, vivid sun, he smiled._

 _"Hi, Kris! We were just looking for you, it's nice to see you."_

 _Any efforts for Kris to muster their voice failed. They turned to Susie with expanded eyes, and she offered a grin._

 _"Hey there, dude. Glad you found us... how're you doing?"_

 _Again they said nothing. They could only watch, as Lancer came bounding up to them, his smile running ear-to-ear._

 _"Clown! About time you showed up, let's go!"_

 _Lancer again took off, his laughter drifting above the endless array of flowers. Susie again voiced her displeasure, but nevertheless took off to catch up. And after suppressing his laugh by bringing his scarf to his mouth, Ralsei again turned to Kris._

 _"Are you ready, Kris?"_

 _They offered no reply. They could only continue to stare, eyes shifting in sequence at the portrait before them. The portrait of their friends, filled with happiness, and a beautiful collection of flowers..._

 _And finally, the portrait of Ralsei. With his patient, yet jubilant smile, ready to walk side-by-side with them, every step of the way._

 _Kris nodded at last. They needed a moment to wipe their fast-forming tears away. And when they did so, t_ _hey closed their eyes once more, and took a single step forward._

* * *

And before long, Kris' eyes batted open again. For just a few quiet moments, only the sound of their own soft breathing reached their ears.

Through the grogginess leaking into their focus, their eyes glazed over the bedroom ceiling. It was a sight all too familiar to them, and one they normally didn't care much about; on school mornings, it was always a rush to get up, and get out of bed before another scolding.

It occurred to them it was a Monday. But on this day, they had a feeling it'd be a little different.

Kris blinked. In time, their sleepiness slowly ebbed away, and with it, their sharpened senses returned. They sat up in their bed, and turned to look at their nightstand's clock.

2:12 PM.

"... Jeez."

A new rush of vigor came upon Kris. Quickly they tore the covers from their body, and stood up from their bed. They made for the door with plodding footsteps, and when they arrived, they motioned forward.

It was just as their hand grazed the metal doorknob that a knock came. They hesitated, a second's time for their features to wash over in surprise, and questioning in equal measure. But then, in continuation, they opened the door anyway.

Their gaze shifted downward, and waiting for them there was a brightly smiling Lancer.

"Clown! You're awake this time!"

Kris felt a smile of their own emerge. Nevertheless, they rubbed their eyes one at a time, and yawned halfway. "Yeah... I forgot to set an alarm."

"That's for sure. I've knocked seven times, but I didn't want to come in. You must've been out _cold!_ "

Kris could only chuckle, and give a lone nod. But then they craned their neck, to look to the stairs at the end of the hall, and Lancer followed their line of sight. He again spoke: "We're just about to have lunch. There's going to be snail pie, you shouldn't miss out!"

Immediately Kris' smile fell. They gulped, and had to clear their throat for their voice to function properly.

"Um, I'll be down in a minute."

Lancer nodded, an action filled with eagerness and zeal. He ran off again in a flash, bounding down the stairs three at a time, and evidently landing in the kitchen with a heavy thud.

And then, a symphony of voices. Kris couldn't discern the content of their dialogue, but the identity of each was clear. With a step into the hallway, they approached the top of the stairs, and began the descent.

The journey was quick. Another smile came to Kris' lips, as they reached the final few steps and entered the kitchen.

Waiting for them there, at the table, was a myriad of warm smiles. Conversation rippled among the group, with plenty of laughter and storytelling to go around. Kris made no sound at first, but rather, contented themself to simply watch.

Within their chest, they could feel the pleasant throb of their SOUL. At last, they couldn't help themself from releasing a gentle sigh. And when they re-focused, they saw the noise brought every pair of eyes in the room to the staircase.

Susie moved first.

"Hey, look who's here! Sleep well, dude?"

Kris gave a faint nod. "I did. Sorry it was for so long, though..."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, don't worry about it. It's a lot better than waking up for school, right?"

This remark earned her more than a passing glance from Toriel, and Susie responded with a slightly nervous chuckle. Nevertheless, Toriel then turned to her child, and without hesitation, she stood up from her chair. With a few short strides, she approached, and took them in a hug.

Kris returned in full. A quiet moment passed, with only their calm, peaceful breathing to fill the space, but plenty of time to relish the moment.

That is, until their mother spoke:

"Today is a day for rest. But it's back in the swing of things tomorrow, all right?"

Kris failed to contain a light groan, a near subconscious reaction. But all the same, they shied away from the embrace, and gave a lone nod. "Okay... I hope Ms. Alphys doesn't give a lot of make-up homework."

Toriel offered a faint laugh, hand to her mouth. "I wouldn't worry, sweetheart. Knowing her, I'm sure she'll be generous."

Before Kris could say anything further, the beep of the oven brought interruption to their thoughts. Toriel's attention shot to the kitchen. "Oh, the pie's ready! Why don't you have a seat, Kris?"

A knot formed quickly in their stomach, but they raised no audible objection. Rather, their eyes settled upon an open seat next to Asriel. With a small wave, their brother beckoned them to sit, and they did.

"Hello, Kris."

"Hi..."

Even through this short exchange, Kris made note of Asriel's inflection and tone; his voice sounded refreshed, and if his eyes were any indication, his exhaustion had abated. "How'd you guys sleep?"

"Pretty well," Asriel replied. "I woke up a couple hours ago."

Kris nodded. They then shifted their eyes to their friends, and in return, both offered answers to their question. Lancer went first.

"I slept really well! Honestly, I might grab a nap soon... but only after the pie."

His remark earned amusement from Susie, in the form of a one-off laugh. But all the same, she turned to Kris: "I got a few hours in. I have to give you credit, the armchairs are pretty comfortable."

Kris offered a generous smile. They instinctively moved their gaze further along the table.

And it was only upon doing so they noticed the problem. The final seat was empty.

"Hey, where's Ralsei?"

Susie had turned her attention to the kitchen, awaiting the arrival of the pie; but upon the mention of the name, she again looked to Kris. "He said he wanted to take a walk. He left about twenty minutes ago."

"By himself?"

Her shoulders sagged a bit, and she leaned back in the chair. "Yeah. I don't know where he's going, but he was pretty insistent."

Kris folded their arms, lowering their eyes to the tablecloth. Both Susie and Asriel watched this, with mild concern affixed to their features, and the latter decided to press further.

"Kris, I'm quite sure he's okay. He didn't seem in bad spirits before he left."

"Yeah, I didn't notice anything wrong," Susie piped in. "He just said he wanted to move around a bit."

While Kris felt a pang of relief at their assurances, part of them remained unconvinced. It was unusual behavior for Ralsei, and something about it just didn't sit right with them. Their mind was already made up.

Plus, it served as an excuse to get out of the snail pie. Kris pushed their chair outward, and came to their feet. "I'm going to go look for him."

At once, Kris knew their decision wasn't foolproof. Given his effort to walk alone, they couldn't be sure of Ralsei's receptiveness to their presence; but all the same, the need to ensure his well-being, no matter what, proved unshakable.

They were one foot to the door, however, when a prying thought seeped into their head. This journey had the potential to keep them away from home for a while. They looked back to Asriel.

"Hey, um... are you going back to school today?"

Asriel knit his brows. "Nope. I don't go back for a little while." He too decided to stand, and with his hands in his pockets, walked to Kris' front. "I'd already planned to visit this week, remember?"

Kris didn't have to search their memories long. And as the realization came upon them, so did a small grin, and the decision to wrap their brother in a quick hug.

A small oomph filtered from his lungs, surprise in equal measure. But it wasn't long before he returned their hug, and gave them an easy pat on their back. "I'm happy I can be here for you, Kris. I really am..."

They responded with a momentary squeeze. And soon after, with careful deliberation, they broke the embrace, and offered Asriel a smile. He did much of the same.

Then Kris turned on their heel. When they reached the foyer, they slipped their shoes on by the mat, and brought the front door open. They called over their shoulder: "I'm going out now, see you all later!"

Good-byes came from all in the house. Kris' faint smile remained untouched, even as they stepped to the porch, and quietly closed the door behind them.

* * *

Wherever Ralsei's feet carried him, he made no objections.

His walk through town had no ultimate destination. With only aimless wandering for purpose, he allowed himself free reign to travel, and paid little heed to direction. But even so, he found himself drifting to spots of familiarity, and he made note of these in his head.

He'd drifted past the hospital. The diner. The library. Even the entrance to the forest path, though he decided to cap his progress there. But finally, he had stumbled across a wholly unfamiliar, but rather appealing spot.

He gazed upon the light, shimmering on the surface of the lake.

Not long after, he then took inventory of the rest of the sight before him, for a brief moment. The water was entirely still, with little wind to cause disturbance; the mid-afternoon sun cast the whole of the lakeside in a warm glow, accentuated by the surrounding bright orange trees.

It was all quite peaceful to Ralsei, a good spot to sit and think. The weariness in his feet left him partial to the idea. He considered the picnic tables, a bit further back, but he decided simply to walk near the lake's edge, and sit.

He allowed his reflections to begin at last.

* * *

With a gentle sigh, Kris pushed the door to the library open, and stepped outside.

From the corner of their eye, their attention settled on a nearby bench, a few steps down the sidewalk. They walked to it quickly, and plopped down. They lowered their head, gaze falling to their lap, and let their mind roam free.

 _If I were Ralsei, where would I go...?_

It was a question dogging Kris' every step. They had hoped to avoid a wild goose chase, but without a trail, they would have to dig deeper. They folded their hands together.

 _I doubt he'd want to be someplace noisy. And if he's going on a walk by himself, he'd definitely prefer a spot to be alone..._

Kris blinked. Though by no means a guarantee, an answer they couldn't ignore came to them.

With hurry, Kris stood, and took off down the sidewalk. Their aim was to return in the direction of home, but only so far; at the corner, they came a halt. They allowed themself a moment to catch their breath, hunched over with hands on their knees, and they tilted their head slightly to the side.

At the end of the road before them was a place they knew well. The pathway to the lake.

Quietly, Kris resumed their trek, but at a slower pace. Beyond the trees, it was difficult to see what lay ahead. But the end of concrete and asphalt was coming, and soon enough, they'd have a better picture.

And as the path turned to gravel and sand, their gaze strayed to their left. Awaiting their eyes was their father's flower shop. An idea came to their head, one to stow away and ponder.

But the time would have to come later. Waiting at the end of the path, perfectly still by the water, was just who they'd been hoping for.

Kris took extra care for their footsteps to be heard, the crunch of pebbles beneath their shoes. He tilted his head a bit, but when he caught sight from the corner of his eye, he shifted himself fully.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here."

Kris' voice hardly rose above a mumble, but they spoke with a kind smile all the same. Then they stepped forward, and approached his side. "May I sit?"

Ralsei made no initial reaction, save for his lingering, wordless stare. But after moment or two, he nodded at last.

Kris followed through on their request. Side-by-side, the two quietly looked out to the lake, with only the rustle of nearby leaves for company in their ears. A long pocket of silence followed, only broken when Kris lightly cleared their throat.

"It's nice out here, isn't it?"

A vague sound escaped from Ralsei, and he blinked. He turned, and found Kris watching him with a patient gaze. He prepared to recover his voice, from a fair stretch of non-use.

"Um, yes. It is."

Kris again smiled. They looked back to the water's surface, and gazed for a short reprieve. They briefly considered describing their dream to him, but chose to save it for a more opportune moment.

The lake caused a recollection to stir within them.

"I used to come here a lot after school. Sometimes with Asriel, but mostly just me. It's a good spot to just—well, sit and think, you know?"

Ralsei said nothing verbally, save for a faint mumble of affirmation. Kris could discern there was no sense beating around the bush.

"I'm going to assume you had the same idea."

They earned his attention in full. He turned, and eye contact between the two was established. And for a moment's pause, he allowed himself to linger, enclosed within their vibrant, brightened green eyes.

He felt a sweltering in his chest. His voice stuck in his throat, and he needed a chance to pry it free.

"I... I did. I just wanted to clear my head, get some fresh air." He again shifted his stare to the orange trees, and offered a gentle exhale. "There's a lot on my mind, I suppose."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kris' inquiry ushered a short bout of silence between the two, in which Ralsei took the chance to contemplate. Kris waited, and after sufficient time passed, their efforts were rewarded with his response:

"You might think it's rather silly... I'm not sure what to make of it myself. But I just can't take my mind off it."

Ralsei paused. With a renewed effort, he again forged eye contact with Kris, and could see an endless bounty of patience within their gaze. He felt himself lighten.

"Kris, look around you. What do you see?"

They heeded his request. From the orange treetops, to the sand and gravel, and back to the water again, they absorbed a sight all too familiar. They knit their brows.

"I see the lake. And the beach, and the forest. Why?"

"It's your home, isn't it?"

Whatever words danced on Kris' tongue faded away. They said nothing, with a desire for Ralsei to continue his thoughts. And he obliged.

"Kris, what I see here is a _beautiful_ place. A place of peace, and calm, and tranquility—it's no wonder why you chose to frequent this spot. I only stumbled across here by accident, but it's... it's wonderful."

He took a slow, elongated breath.

"Kris, you live in such a lovely world. I know I haven't spent much time here, but there's just so much to see, and appreciate. And now, we have the chance to spend time together, without fear of the forest, or visions, or nightmares—everything's going to be different now. It's going to be _better..."_

The memory rushed forth in Kris' mind. A memory of just hours ago, and one they vowed to cherish.

 _I'm going to be better... I swear I'll do my best. For all of you._

Before them now was the perfect opportunity. Kris couldn't help themself from allowing a small, inviting smile to permeate their features.

"You first came here when you heard I was hospitalized, right?"

Kris already knew the answer, but they saw the question as a good method to start a new conversation. Ralsei's face flickered in confusion, but all the same, he spoke: "Yes. Lancer and I came with Susie, it was her idea."

"And that was just a few days ago," Kris said. They again looked out toward the lake, and as they did so, they lifted their knees. "It's barely been any time at all, and even then, all of it's been stressful. We haven't had a whole lot of time to just..."

Kris allowed their voice to taper away. They chuckled, a sound of contentment, and they made no qualms in showing such.

"We haven't had much time to learn. I feel like there's so much we haven't seen yet." Kris gestured, to the pathway behind them. "There's so much you haven't seen of the Light World. And I'm sure there's so much _I_ haven't seen in the Dark World—I mean, if we think this is beautiful _now,_ can you imagine what's to come?"

Excitement breached Kris' every word, their fast speech punctured only by a needed breath or two. Ralsei said nothing, but his eyes had widened notably to them, filled with anticipation. Their smile only grew further.

Then they chuckled again.

"Speaking of the hospital... do you remember our conversation that night?"

Ralsei let his thoughts wander. The scenes of that day, he found, remained fresh in his memory, and easy to summon on command. But why Kris felt a need to recall such, he couldn't guess.

"I do. Why do you bring this up?"

Kris paused. For a minute or two, they allowed themself a chance to mold and refine their thoughts, and ideas for how to proceed. Their lips became a thin line, smile sliding away from their features.

"I'm just thinking too, I guess. There was something I told you... I promised things would get better for us both. Didn't I?"

Ralsei again said nothing in reply. For just a few moments, the lakeside seemed to fall entirely still. But before long, Kris turned at last, and Ralsei could see the green in their eyes intensify, becoming _brighter._ Without pause, they brought their hand forward, and lightly tapped their index finger over his heart.

Within his chest, his SOUL illuminated. An identical reaction occurred within Kris. And just like before, a silver and gray thread connected the two.

But there was no pain this time. No siphoning of health and vitality. To Ralsei's delight in ways he couldn't express, this was the bond between their SOULs. A bond of trust, and care, and friendship, and adventure, and promise for all the future holds...

Kris gently placed their hand over their SOUL. They studied it for a time, eyes glazing over its smooth, flawless surface. They breathed deeply.

"Ralsei, I _know_ we're still going to have troubles. I can't predict the future, but it's like we've said before—everything can't be perfect. Even if we want it to be."

Kris re-established eye contact, a gesture reciprocated by Ralsei. He could see a warmth of sorts within their brightened green eyes, a comforting gaze to soothe his emotions. He felt any tenseness vanish, swapped only for a lightened sensation inside him.

His breathing became slow, and altogether peaceful. Kris smiled, and took his hand in their own.

"But I know we'll make things better. And whatever comes, be it SOULs, or prophecies, or anything else, we'll be ready..."

Kris ducked their head at last, pointing their face downward. To Ralsei, it was a clear effort for them to hide their burgeoning feelings, ready to burst forth. They took a sharp, poignant breath, near as quick as a gasp.

Ralsei felt no words to say. He knew he wouldn't need any. Instead, he shifting his position to bring himself closer, and quietly took Kris in his arms. They mirrored his actions in full, even tightening their embrace a bit further.

And for a still pocket of time, everything around them seemed to fall away. In Ralsei's eyes, all that mattered was the one resting in his embrace, his senses attuned to their slow breathing, and occasional sniffle or two.

He dipped his head just a bit, and whispered in their ear.

"We'll be ready, Kris. I know we will."

Minutes untold passed. Kept still as statues, neither seemed to dare break the shared intimacy between them; but at last, with what felt to be an accidental tremble, Kris backed from Ralsei's arms, and again placed distance between them. They looked deeply into his eyes, and him into theirs.

They smiled, something Ralsei took keen interest in replicating.

"Thank you, Ralsei. For all you've done..."

He reached over, and offered a gentle pat upon Kris' back.

"Kris, as long as I'm able, I'll be right by your side. Always."

They nodded, an eager gesture accentuated by their grin. Then, they stood quickly, and stuck their hand out for Ralsei to take; though momentary surprise stayed his reaction, he grabbed hold soon after, and followed in their stead.

Kris angled their head to the side. The flower shop again came within their view. "Ralsei, I want you to do me a favor."

"Yes?"

"Go back to the house. Tell Susie and Lancer we're getting our hot chocolates, and head down to the diner. I'm going to stay here for now, but I'll meet you there in a little bit."

"You'll meet us there?" Ralsei said. A bit of hesitation stained his voice, but he adjusted his scarf regardless. "All right... we'll see you soon, Kris."

And with that, he departed. Kris watched him travel beyond the pathway, and from there, turn the corner at the end of the road. When he was out of sight at last, they began a journey of their own.

* * *

With the last of his water can emptied, Asgore allowed himself to admire his handiwork.

The wall of flowers adorning the back wall of the shop was coming along magnificently. A collection of yellow and green plant life spread across the brick surface in webs, combining for a marvelous display of, in his eyes, natural beauty. He released a content sigh, and began to walk to the counter.

The bell above the door rang. He turned. And what he saw, with eye contact established between them, was Kris.

The water can in his hand was forgotten. With bounding strides forward, he nearly tackled them in a bone crushing hug. An audible oomph erupted from their lungs, but with a smile to match, they replicated the motion as best they could.

And after a few moments of restriction, Asgore at last set Kris down. He took one step back, and offered his kindest smile.

"Hello, Kris."

Their eyes, perhaps a bit hesitant, fell to their feet. But all the same, Asgore could see a small grin curl their lips. "Hi, dad..."

Asgore went quickly to the counter, and set the water can down at last. But in his moment of diverted attention, he spoke anyway: "It's very nice to see you again. How have things been?"

"Um... it's kind of a long story. But I promised I'd see you soon, I'm sorry it took me so long."

As they spoke, Kris took the initiative to step further inside. Their attention fell upon the wall of flowers, and their stare idled in its captivity. Asgore's smile remained untouched, as he came to their side. "Isn't it lovely? I've been hard at work since your last visit."

"It's really nice..."

Asgore brought his hand to the back of his head, and ran his fingers through his hair. After a brief rest in dialogue, he then said, "So, Kris. What brings you here today?"

Kris glanced around the shop. A multitude of bouquets and flower pots, arranged in glass displays, and a wide spectrum of colors swathed these; the combinations were near endless, something they took fascination in.

"I'm looking for flowers."

Asgore raised an eyebrow. "Flowers? What for?"

"This might sound ridiculous, but I... I had a dream last night." Kris again centered the wall of flowers in their eyes. "I feel there's something I have to do. Can you help me?"

Perplexity dominated Asgore's body language, through crossed arms and furrowed brows. But the determination in Kris' voice was beyond any doubt of his. "Of course. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

"I'm not sure. I dreamed of a great field of flowers, stretching farther than I could see. There were a lot of colors." Kris approached the wall, and took stock of its consistency in yellow. Then they shifted to the cases, and the more varied displays inside. "It felt... right, somehow."

Asgore's smile returned.

"I think I know just what you need."

Without another word uttered, he went to the opposite wall of the shop. Kris trailed behind by a step or two, and attempted to peer over his side as he fiddled with a display case. They had only glanced over it before, they couldn't remember the exact contents.

Asgore shifted back around, facing Kris once again. Befalling their sight was a bouquet of flowers, a blend of every color they could fathom. Their voice stuck in their throat, gaze transfixed.

It was just the same as the meadow.

"Kris, if I may ask. What it is you felt in your dream?"

Felt. The key word, causing everything to click. The answer burst from their tongue.

"Life. I felt... I felt _life._ And joy, and happiness, and peace—I've never seen anything like it. It was beautiful."

In the immediate space following, Asgore chose silence for a reply. Yet more eye contact ensued, but Kris felt no urge to avoid it. And their patience was ultimately rewarded, with a final, slow nod from him.

"It sounds like a great many things, Kris. And for these flowers, I think that's perfect."

He reached forward, and offered the bouquet. Kris could only stare, first at the flowers, and then back to their father. He faintly chuckled. "Go on. It's quite all right."

Kris, with slow hands, finally accepted the offer. They held the flowers as gently as they could manage, and carefully looked over each. Even as Asgore continued to speak, they couldn't turn away; but with all the spare concentration they could muster, they listened.

"If I were to lecture you on every flower there is, and what each represents, I would need two things: my book, and a few months. But I see no need, for those flowers in your arms should be quite plenty."

Asgore carried a mild, kindhearted inflection in his speech. He offered a hand upon Kris' shoulder.

"Kris, a flower comes in many shades, and colors. There's more variety than we can ever hope to understand, and I find great beauty in this—just as you find beauty within your dream, and all the emotions you carry. Just look at this bouquet. There are red flowers here, and blue, and green, and yellow, and orange... there's a great amount, yet this is just a tiny part of all there is to see. A _tiny_ part."

As Kris again looked to the flowers, Asgore heeded his own advice, and studied the mixture carefully. A fusion of colors and hues danced across his eyes, combining to form a flawless collection.

"Did you know," he continued, "that the color of a flower connotes emotion itself? It's quite interesting, in fact." Asgore made his way to the counter, and reached beneath; his hand returned with a dusty, leather-bound book, and after briefly wiping the cover with the hem of his shirt, he opened. He flipped across a few weathered pages. "Here we are... a red flower, for example, is a flower of _strength,_ and passion _._ Blue is said to convey peace, yellow is happiness, green is hope—do you see the connection here? I don't believe this dream was an accident."

He closed the book, and set it flat on the counter. He again approached Kris, and grinned.

"Kris, I want you to remember something. These colors, they represent something important—they represent _you._ You, and all your hopes and dreams, and ambitions, and feelings... it's quite a wonderful thing, you see. It's as beautiful as a bouquet, or even a lush field, of flowers."

Kris brought the bouquet closer to their chest, ever so sightly. They bowed their head, and cast a stray glance to their chest. Their green SOUL filled their eye, pulsing in a calming light.

Asgore offered a hand upon their shoulder.

"I have one more question. Who are these flowers for?"

Kris looked up.

"They're for my friends. I want them to experience the same things I have..."

Asgore couldn't help one last smile. "That sounds very good, Kris."

They summoned a lone nod, and nothing more. But after an effort to swallow, and thus free their voice to speak, they decided to jump ahead.

"Is it okay if I come back later, to pay for these? I have a little money on me, but I'm not sure it's enough. I was planning to treat them to hot chocolates."

Asgore chuckled, a hearty sound springing forth from the well of his lungs. "It's on the house, Kris. I only wish I had more to give."

They weren't quite able to contain the creeping guilt inside them, culminating in lightly pursed lips. All the same, they again turned the bouquet around in their hands, and gazed over its contents one more time. "Thank you..."

Mere seconds after the cessation of Kris' speech, the chime of the clock hanging over his counter earned both their attention. It was five.

"Oh, man. Um, I told my friends I'd meet them soon. Is it—"

"Go right ahead, Kris. Please, have a great rest of your day."

Kris smiled, with all the appreciation they could muster; then, with a shift in positioning, they hurried to the door. But just with one foot out, they leaned to face their father one last time.

"I'll be back again soon... I'd like to hear more about the flowers. Okay?"

Asgore shoved his hands in his pockets. His own smile didn't budge an inch.

"I can't wait, Kris. I'll see you soon."

Kris nodded. Without any further delay, they took off to the sidewalk.

* * *

"Where the hell _are_ they?"

From her spot at the bench, Susie made no qualms in demonstrating her frustration, through crossed arms and slumped posture. Her companions weren't quite as expressive, but Ralsei tapped the tips of his index fingers together all the same.

"Kris said they'd be coming soon. It hasn't been long, let's give it a little more time."

"Hasn't been long? It's been _hours!"_

From the corner of his eye, Ralsei spared a rather unusual glance to Lancer, one of mixed apology and amusement. "I'm not sure it's even been twenty minutes. But I'm sure it won't be much longer."

As the two volleyed back and forth, Susie lazily cocked her head to stare down the street. Her bored, glazed-over eyes blinked.

"What do you know. Nice timing."

Now it was Ralsei and Lancer's turn to look. And they all saw, sprinting as fast as they could from the end of the sidewalk to the diner, was an out-of-breath, discombobulated Kris. They kept one arm behind their back, the other swinging with their movement.

After a time for the three to watch their approach, Kris came up to the bench at last. They coughed, but kept themself upright. They glanced over the three in sequence. "I'm... sorry I'm late..." they said, mixed with deep breaths.

"It's quite all right, Kris."

Ralsei stood, and motioned to come closer. But to his surprise, Kris responded with a hasty step backward, though they maintained a steady disposition.

Susie was the next to pipe in.

"Where have you been, dude? You've kept us waiting."

She meant for no actual harm or annoyance in her tone, but all the same, Kris' shoulders slumped a bit.

"I was getting something. I want you all to see this."

Kris brought their hand forward, and revealed what they held behind their back. Delicately within their grasp, and falling upon the eyes of their friends, was the brilliant, colorful bouquet of flowers. Ralsei felt his breath hitch in his lungs, mouth falling agape.

Neither he, nor Lancer raised their voices. It was again Susie to break the ice.

"... Holy hell."

Kris' resistances failed, enabling a weak grin and laughter in tandem. They came to Susie's side, and before she could raise a question, they held the flowers out for her to take. A moment's hesitation.

And then, she quietly accepted the bouquet. Her eyes polished over the flowers, and the makings of a smile tugged at her lips.

Kris decided to wait no longer.

"I got these flowers from my dad. He runs the shop near the lake. And when we were talking, he told me something about them: the different colors in flowers reflect emotions. Flowers that bring joy, and peace, and harmony. And this bouquet, this is supposed to represent _all_ those feelings."

They let their eyes rest upon the bouquet.

"Guys, I had a dream last night. I'm not sure if it was a vision or not, but it was a scene of all of us, roaming around in a great field of flowers—it seemed like it stretched forever. It was amazing to look at."

They closed their eyes, for a fleeting, still moment.

"And... the dream made me really happy. When we were all together, it just felt _right._ I don't know, I know I sound like an idiot, but—whatever happens in the future, even when things are rough, I hope there can be beauty like these flowers..."

Their voice fell quiet at last. The four fell in a pocket of stillness, nothing heard nor said, but all eyes except Kris; fixed to the bouquet in Susie's hand. The sun was just beginning to set.

And then, she snickered.

"Man, you are _really_ sentimental. You know that, right?"

Kris titled their head to the side a bit, eyes glazed in confusion. But when they turned, they saw her expression betrayed her attempt at humor, and all she could muster was a faint grin. She gave Kris a light pat on the back.

"But... I never said that's a bad thing. Actually, I think it's pretty neat."

She turned the bouquet over in her hands. Her smile grew just a bit further, and she calmly handed it back to Kris. "And I gotta admit," she continued, "these flowers are really damn pretty. I bet your dream was pretty cool."

"It was. It really, really was." Kris gently sighed, a reaction surprising even to themself, but they stowed the feeling quickly. "And I want you all to feel it too..."

With a gentle finger, Kris tapped their chest. Their green SOUL appeared to the three, luminous in their eyes. And like before, the very first time they laid eyes upon it, a soothing, tranquil warmth overcame the SOULs of the others.

Kris' voice came only as a low mumble. But the three latched to their every word.

"These flowers are for all of us. We're a team, aren't we?"

Susie could only offer her sincerest smile. She leaned over slightly, and wrapped her arm around Kris' shoulder. "Yep..."

It was ultimately Lancer that next chose to make his presence known, through hopping up on the bench, and coming to Kris' side. Without pause, he tugged at their sleeve to gain their attention.

"Clown, we're all gonna stick together. And that's gonna make us a heck of a lot stronger. You can bet on that!"

Now it was Kris' turn for a grin to align their face. They ruffled the top of Lancer's head, and he responded only with a giggle. His laughter proved faintly contagious to all on the bench.

But footsteps to their side caught their ear in earnest. Ralsei came to Kris' field of vision at last, and when he looked them straight on, he smiled.

"Kris... like the colors of these flowers, our emotions are vast. I'm sure our days together will be just as varied, and lovely, too."

Kris said nothing in immediate response. Nothing, save for intertwining their fingers in their folded hands. They lowered their head, and allowed their hair to fall over the upper portion of their face.

The team fell quiet again. All their senses, through their collective stillness, became attuned with their environment: the mildly chilled wind, moving step-by-step with the approach of nightfall. A car or two in the distance, headlights rounding corners, and tires cascading over asphalt and loose stone in the road. The sway of tree leaves, in patterns unpredictable to the ear.

It was then Susie decided to exhale aloud.

"So, we just gonna sit around here? It's cold."

Kris could only smile yet again. They cast their eyes to Susie, and found delight in meeting a similar expression upon her features. "Yeah, you're right. But there's one last thing."

"What's up?"

Kris decided to take a moment to study their shoes. They spoke only a bit above a mumble.

"I know this might sound strange, but someday, I hope we can go back to my SOUL. There won't be pain and suffering this time... and if I can create another vision, I'd love for it to be those flowers."

A smile was brought to all in the group. But none could quite match the sheer emotion, and indescribable joy, of Ralsei's.

"That sounds wonderful, Kris. Truly..."

Kris brought a finger to their eye, and not long after, they were again on their feet. They went to Ralsei's front, and spared no hesitation in taking him in their arms once more. His return of the gesture was immediate, and with a muted sigh, joyous.

For all of two seconds. Another voice sprouted from the side.

"Hey! Don't forget us, huh?"

Kris felt something attach to their leg. Something they immediately knew to be Lancer, undoubtedly worming his way in on the spoils. But before they could comment, the air was forced from their lungs by a wider, more restrictive grip from Susie.

It was a veritable group hug. And cocooned within, Kris felt any tension, and stress, and apprehension wisp away. From themself, and all the others.

It was a moment that couldn't last forever. But Kris knew, with all certainty, there would be many more to come.

And after what seemed to be minutes, but perhaps even longer, a shift occurred in sequence. Lancer wriggled away, and freed himself from the collection; Susie followed similar suit, and finally, Ralsei did the same.

Kris' smile kept intact. They locked eyes with their friends—with Lancer, and with Susie, and with Ralsei—and found the same story upon theirs. They took one long, deep breath.

"Thanks, guys..."

Susie beamed. With the flowers in her left hand, she gestured to the sidewalk with her free thumb, in the direction of the diner.

"Come on, dude. Let's go in."

No disagreements came from any. Beneath the glow of street lamps just activated, the team walked to the door. Kris held it open, and the three filed through.

But just before joining them, they offered one final glance to the sky. Awash with orange and dark blue streaks, their eyes filled with the sunset. They lingered, for just a second longer, with only their thoughts for accompaniment.

One in particular came to them. They breathed out, to rise in the evening air.

 _Thank you._

With a final step inside, they closed the door behind them.

* * *

 _And so, we've come to the end._

 _T_ _o all of you, I can never express my gratitude enough for your readership. It has been amazing._

 _Until next time._


End file.
